Not all adjectives compare in the usual way with –er/–est or with more/most. A small group has irregular forms that must be learned individually. The most common are good → better → best and bad → worse → worst, but there are others: many/much → more → most, little → less → least, and far → farther/further → farthest/furthest. Some pairs carry shades of meaning: farther often marks physical distance, further often means ‘to a greater degree’; elder/eldest are preferred for family relationships, while older/oldest are general. The table below lists these absolute, comparative, and superlative forms for quick reference.
| Absolute | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| good | better (than) | (the) best |
| well (healthy) | better (than) | (the) best |
| bad | worse (than) | (the) worst |
| badly | worse (than) | (the) worst |
| ill (unwell) | worse (than) | (the) worst |
| little (amount) | less (than) | (the) least |
| little (size) | smaller (than) | (the) smallest |
| much | more (than) | (the) most |
| many | more (than) | (the) most |
| some | more (than) | (the) most |
| far (distance) | farther (than) | (the) farthest |
| far (degree/stage) | further (than) | (the) furthest |
| late (time) | later (than) | (the) latest / (the) last |
| near (distance/order) | nearer (than) | (the) nearest / (the) next |
| old (people, family) | older/elder (than) | (the) oldest/(the) eldest |
