Adjectives that end in -ed and -ing

Adjectives play a vital role in language, adding depth and detail to our descriptions. Among them, adjectives ending in -ed and -ing stand out as two distinct yet related categories, often derived from verbs. These participial adjectives—past participial adjectives (-ed) and present participial adjectives (-ing)—serve unique purposes in English. Adjectives ending in -ed typically describe a state, emotion, or condition resulting from an action, focusing on how someone or something is affected (e.g., “bored,” “excited”). In contrast, adjectives ending in -ing highlight the cause or ongoing nature of an action or quality, describing what triggers a reaction or feeling (e.g., “boring,” “exciting”). This exploration delves into their formation, grammatical roles, historical roots, and practical use, accompanied by comprehensive lists of common examples to illustrate their versatility.

Adjectives that end in -ed

Adjectives that end in -ed are known as past participles when they function as verbs, but when used as adjectives, they are often called past participial adjectives. Here’s why some adjectives end in -ed:

1. Describing Feelings or States Resulting from Actions:
   • Adjectives ending in -ed generally describe how someone or something feels as a result of an action or experience. They denote a passive or affected state:
     • Bored (feeling boredom due to something)
     • Excited (feeling excitement)
     • Tired (feeling fatigue)
   
   These adjectives focus on the state of the subject rather than the cause or action itself.
2. Formation from Verbs: Similar to -ing adjectives, -ed adjectives are often derived directly from verbs, specifically the past participle form:
   • Interest becomes interested (I am interested in the topic)
   • Amuse becomes amused (I was amused by the story)
3. Grammatical Function:
   • Active vs. Passive Meaning: -ed adjectives convey a passive sense, suggesting that the subject of the sentence is affected by an action or state:
     • I am interested in science (I am affected by interest in science)The dog is tired (The dog is affected by fatigue)
   
   This contrasts with -ing adjectives, which suggest an active or causing nature.
4. Historical Development: The use of -ed as an adjective form comes from the past participle in English, which historically was used to describe completed actions or states. Over time, this form has been adopted into adjectives to denote someone or something’s condition resulting from an action or emotion.
5. Syntax and Style: Using -ed adjectives can help convey a sense of completion, experience, or the result of an action, making descriptions more nuanced. It provides a way to discuss how people or things are affected by their circumstances or interactions.

In summary, adjectives ending in -ed are used to describe the state, emotion, or condition that results from an action or experience, focusing on the recipient of the action rather than the action itself or its origin. They enrich language by providing a way to articulate passive experiences or states.

Here’s a list of common adjectives in English that end in “-ed”. These adjectives are often used to describe feelings or states resulting from an action:

• amazed
• amused
• annoyed
• astonished
• baffled
• bored
• charmed
• confused
• convinced
• crushed
• delighted
• depressed
• determined
• disappointed
• disgusted
• distressed
• disturbed
• embarrassed
• enchanted
• encouraged
• entertained
• excited
• exhausted
• fascinated
• frightened
• frustrated
• fulfilled
• horrified
• humiliated
• hunted
• impressed
• inspired
• interested
• intimidated
• involved
• irritated
• isolated
• justified
• limited
• motivated
• moved
• offended
• overwhelmed
• pleased
• puzzled
• relaxed
• relieved
• satisfied
• scared
• shocked
• surprised
• tempted
• terrified
• thrilled
• tired
• touched
• troubled
• upset
• worried

Note:

• Adjectives ending in “-ed” typically describe how someone feels as a result of something else (e.g., “He was bored by the lecture.”).
• These adjectives are derived from verbs and often relate to emotions or states caused by external events or actions.
• The list isn’t exhaustive, as there are many verbs in English that can be transformed into adjectives by adding “-ed”. However, this covers a wide range of commonly used “-ed” adjectives.

Adjectives that end in -ing

Adjectives that end in -ing are known as present participles when they function as verbs, but when used as adjectives, they are called participial adjectives. Here’s why some adjectives end in -ing:

1. Describing Ongoing Actions or States: When an adjective ends in -ing, it typically describes something that is happening or that has qualities suggesting an ongoing action or state. For example:
   • Boring (something that causes boredom)
   • Exciting (something that causes excitement)
   • Tiring (something that causes fatigue)
   
   These adjectives relate to the effect or the nature of the noun they modify, often implying that the noun is the source or cause of the feeling or action described by the adjective.
2. Formation from Verbs: Many -ing adjectives come directly from verbs. The -ing form of a verb (present participle) is adapted to serve as an adjective:
   • Run becomes running (a running tap)
   • Laugh becomes laughing (a laughing child)
3. Grammatical Function:
   • Active vs. Passive Meaning: -ing adjectives often convey an active sense, suggesting that the subject of the sentence is doing or causing the action. In contrast, adjectives ending in -ed (like “bored” or “tired”) suggest a passive experience or effect on the subject:
     • The movie is boring (the movie causes boredom)
     • I am bored (I am affected by boredom)
4. Consistency with Gerunds: The -ing form also aligns with the gerund form of the verb, which can function as a noun, leading to some overlap in usage:
   • Swimming can be both a gerund (the act of swimming) and an adjective (swimming pool).
5. Syntax and Style: Using -ing adjectives can make language more dynamic and vivid, offering a way to describe attributes in a manner that feels more immediate or engaging.

In summary, adjectives ending in -ing are used to describe qualities, actions, or states in a way that highlights the causing or ongoing nature of these attributes, derived from verbs to enrich descriptive language in English.

Here’s a list of common adjectives in English that end in “-ing”. These adjectives are often used to describe the characteristics of something or someone that is causing a particular reaction or feeling:

• amazing
• amusing
• annoying
• astonishing
• baffling
• boring
• charming
• confusing
• convincing
• crushing
• delightful
• depressing
• disappointing
• disgusting
• distressing
• disturbing
• embarrassing
• enchanting
• encouraging
• entertaining
• exciting
• exhausting
• fascinating
• frightening
• frustrating
• fulfilling
• horrifying
• humiliating
• inspiring
• interesting
• intimidating
• irritating
• isolating
• motivating
• moving
• offending
• overwhelming
• pleasing
• puzzling
• relaxing
• relieving
• satisfying
• scaring
• shocking
• surprising
• tempting
• terrifying
• thrilling
• tiring
• touching
• troubling
• worrying

Note:

• Adjectives ending in “-ing” generally describe the quality or nature of something that causes a feeling or reaction (e.g., “The movie was boring.”).
• These adjectives are derived from verbs and often describe ongoing actions, processes, or qualities of the subject they are describing.
• While this list includes many common “-ing” adjectives, there are others based on verbs that can be used in this form. Remember, the context in which an adjective is used can change its meaning or emphasis.

In summary

Adjectives ending in -ed and -ing enrich English by offering nuanced ways to describe experiences and qualities. -ed adjectives, such as “amused” or “tired,” stem from past participles and convey a passive state—how a subject feels or is affected by an action or event. Conversely, -ing adjectives, like “amusing” or “tiring,” originate from present participles and actively describe the source or ongoing nature of a feeling or state, emphasizing what causes it. Both types are formed from verbs, with -ed reflecting a completed or experienced condition and -ing suggesting dynamism and causation. Historically tied to English participle forms, these adjectives enhance syntax and style, providing clarity and vividness. Lists of common examples—such as “delighted” and “delightful,” “frustrated” and “frustrating”—underscore their widespread use and subtle differences, making them essential tools for expressive communication.

Related articles:

• Adjectives: What they are and what they do