Adjectives That Start With C | List & Examples

There are many adjectives (words that qualify a noun) that start with C. Some of the more common adjectives that start with C are:

  • Capable
  • Cheerful
  • Clever
  • Cozy
  • Childish
  • Conceited
  • Critical
  • Calm
  • Casual
  • Cheap
  • Colorful

This article contains lists of many more positive, negative, and neutral adjectives that start with a C.

Positive adjectives that start with C

Here’s a list of adjectives that start with C with a positive connotation.

  • Capable: Very able; competent  
  • Careful: Showing thought or attention; cautious
  • Caring: Showing consideration; compassionate
  • Celebrated: Famous; revered; remembered
  • Charismatic: Compellingly charming; magnetic; appealing
  • Cheerful: Happy; positive; joyful
  • Childlike: Innocent; naive
  • Chivalrous: (Of a man) showing courtesy to a woman; attentive
  • Civilized: Well-mannered; refined
  • Classy: Showing high standards; admirable
  • Clever: Of high intellect; smart; cunning
  • Compassionate: Caring; thoughtful
  • Competent: Capable; efficient
  • Complimentary: Positive; flattering; admiring
  • Confident: Self-assured; positive
  • Congenial: Friendly; sociable
  • Conscientious: Assiduous; careful; principled
  • Considerate: Thoughtful; attentive
  • Consistent: Stable; reliable; the same
  • Constructive: Positive; helpful
  • Content: Happy; satisfied
  • Copacetic: Very satisfactory; just fine
  • Courageous: Brave
  • Courteous: Polite
  • Cozy: Warm and comfortable; snug
  • Creative: Artistic; inventive
  • Cultivated: Cultured; grown deliberately
  • Curious: Inquisitive; inquiring; mysterious
  • Cute: Small and attractive; adorable

You can also download this list of positive adjectives that start with C as a PDF. 
Adjectives that start with “C” PDF

Positive adjectives that start with C examples
It seems a bygone age when people would be celebrated for being cultured and courteous.

Although he was apparently unable to be conscientious, the prime minister was clearly charismatic, and this enabled him to get away with not being capable, careful, or even competent.

The room was decorated tastefully, reflecting its classy, cultivated, and congenial owner.

Negative adjectives that start with C

Here’s a list of adjectives that start with a C with a negative connotation. When applied to a person, these would almost always be considered insults.

  • Callous: Cruel; hardhearted; unfeeling  
  • Careless: Thoughtless; slipshod
  • Catastrophic: Disastrous; calamitous  
  • Censorious: Overly critical; condemnatory
  • Chaotic: Lacking order or organization
  • Cheesy: Tasting of cheese; overly sentimental; kitsch
  • Childish: Immature;
  • Choppy: Rough (water); not smooth
  • Clashing: Discordant; fighting
  • Clingy: Needy; dependent
  • Clueless: Stupid; lacking ideas
  • Clumsy: Prone to knocking things over; uncoordinated
  • Cocky: Arrogant; over-confident
  • Cold-hearted: Unfeeling; callous
  • Combative: Eager to fight; aggressive; bellicose
  • Complicated: Not simple; complex
  • Conceited: Arrogant; boastful; prideful
  • Condescending: Looking down on someone; haughty
  • Confusing: Perplexing; unclear
  • Contemptuous: Dismissive and arrogant; disdainful
  • Controlling: In charge; manipulative
  • Corrupt: Improper; illegal; open to bribery
  • Cowardly: Lacking courage
  • Crabby: Ill-tempered; irritable
  • Cranky: Eccentric; odd; irritable 
  • Crass: Lacking grace or charm; unsophisticated
  • Critical: Essential; vital; negative
  • Crooked: Not straight; corrupt
  • Cruel: Harsh and unfeeling; vindictive
  • Cumbersome: Large and awkward
  • Cynical: Cold and calculating; disbelieving

Adjectives that start with “C” PDF

Negative adjectives that start with C examples
As an officer, he was catastrophic: a dangerous mix of cowardly, corrupt, condescending, and clueless.

The review was contemptuous, describing the play as confusing, cheesy, and clumsy.

A critical friend can help you improve your writing, as long as they are not censorious or cruel.

The senator might not have been actually corrupt, but he was borderline crooked with his complex tax arrangements.

Neutral adjectives that start with C

The following adjectives usually have neither a positive nor negative connotation when describing something.

  • Caffeinated: Containing caffeine; zesty
  • Calm: Unruffled; composed; not troubled
  • Candid: Open; unhidden; revealing
  • Casual: Not formal; slack; lacking discipline
  • Central: Middle; equal distance from all sides; vital
  • Ceremonial: Formal and ritualistic; nominal
  • Cheap: Inexpensive; substandard; petty
  • Chilly: Cold
  • Circular: In the shape of a circle
  • Civil: Polite
  • Classic: Time-honored; long-standing
  • Clean: Not dirty; without difficulty
  • Clear: Not obstructed
  • Close: Nearby; hot and stuffy
  • Cloudy: Obscured by cloud; unclear
  • Coarse: Not smooth; unrefined; non-game freshwater fishing (UK English)
  • Coastal: At the sea’s edge
  • Cold: Low temperature; callous
  • Colloquial: Nonstandard language; slang
  • Colorful: Highly colored; interesting; full of swear words
  • Common: Often-found; uncouth; normal
  • Compact: Small and neat
  • Complete: Lacking nothing; total
  • Complex: Having many aspects; complicated
  • Comprehensive: Covering every eventuality; complete
  • Concrete: Made of cement and gravel; solid; not abstract
  • Confined: Restricted; imprisoned
  • Constant: Unending; relentless
  • Conventional: Normal; traditional
  • Cool: Between warm and cold; trendy; indifferent
  • Coordinated: Working together (in time, style, or color)
  • Correct: Right; error-free
  • Cotton: Made from cotton
  • Cracked: Damaged with a crack; split
  • Crisp: Stiff; smooth; clear
  • Crucial: Essential; vital
  • Cubic: Product of length x width x height
  • Curly: Having curls
  • Customary: Usual; traditional

You can also download this list of neutral adjectives that start with C as a PDF.

Adjectives that start with “C” PDF

Neutral adjectives that start with C examples
I used to love our coastal walks. On crisp, clear days you could see for miles, and even if it was cloudy, the constant changes in light meant there was always something to please the eye.

The mayor was a purely ceremonial role, which carried no crucial duties but did come with a colorful ceremonial sash.

Diane was very conventional in her approach to problems, remaining calm and correct no matter what happened.

Adjectives with other letters

If you’re looking for adjectives that start with another letter, you can visit one of our other articles.

Adjectives with A Adjectives with G Adjectives with L Adjectives with Q Adjectives with V
Adjectives with B Adjectives with H Adjectives with M Adjectives with R Adjectives with W
Adjectives with D Adjectives with I Adjectives with N Adjectives with S Adjectives with X
Adjectives with E Adjectives with J Adjectives with O Adjectives with T Adjectives with Y
Adjectives with F Adjectives with K Adjectives with P Adjectives with U Adjectives with Z
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Trevor Marshall, MSc

Trevor has a BA in English Literature & Language and an MSc in Applied Social Studies. He has been a teacher for 25 years, with 15 years experience teaching ESL alongside 1st language students.