Adjectives That Start With P | List & Examples

There are many adjectives (words that describe a noun) that start with P in English. Here are a few of the most common adjectives that start with P:

This article includes lists of many adjectives that start with P, divided into positive, negative, and neutral.

Positive adjectives that start with P

This is a list of adjectives that start with P with a positive connotation:

• Passionate: Deeply enthusiastic; intense; emotionally invested
• Patient: Able to wait calmly; tolerant; uncomplaining
• Peaceable: Inclined to avoid conflict; nonviolent; amicable
• Peaceful: Calm; free from conflict; tranquil
• Peerless: Unmatched; without equal; superior
• Perceptive: Insightful; observant; quick to understand
• Perfect: Flawless; ideal; without fault
• Persistent: Continuing firmly; determined; tenacious
• Personable: Pleasant; friendly; attractive in personality
• Phenomenal: Extraordinary; exceptional; remarkable
• Picturesque: Visually charming; attractive; like a painting
• Playful: Fun-loving; lighthearted; full of good humor
• Pleasant: Agreeable; enjoyable; pleasing
• Pleased: Satisfied; content; happy
• Pleasing: Agreeable; attractive; gratifying
• Plentiful: Abundant; ample; in great supply
• Plucky: Brave; spirited; determined
• Poised: Composed; graceful; self-assured
• Polished: Refined; elegant; well-prepared
• Polite: Courteous; well-mannered; respectful
• Popular: Well-liked; widely admired; favored
• Positive: Optimistic; confident; certain
• Powerful: Strong; influential; commanding
• Practical: Sensible; realistic; functional
• Pragmatic: Practical; results-oriented; realistic
• Precious: Highly valued; cherished; treasured
• Precise: Exact; accurate; clearly defined
• Prestigious: Highly respected; honored; of high status
• Pretty: Attractive; pleasing in appearance
• Principled: Acting by strong moral rules; ethical
• Proactive: Taking initiative; anticipating problems; forward-thinking
• Productive: Efficient; fruitful; yielding good results
• Proficient: Skilled; competent; capable
• Profound: Deep; insightful; intellectually significant
• Prominent: Well-known; important; easily noticeable
• Prosperous: Wealthy; successful; thriving
• Protective: Guarding; shielding; caring
• Proud: Having self-respect; feeling accomplished
• Prudent: Wise; careful; showing good judgment
• Punctual: On time; prompt; timely
• Pure: Unmixed; clean; morally upright

Negative adjectives that start with P

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

• Painful: Causing pain; distressing; unpleasant
• Paranoid: Overly suspicious; distrustful; delusional
• Passive-aggressive: Indirectly hostile; resistant through subtle actions
• Pathetic: Pitiful; inadequate; arousing pity
• Peculiar: Odd; strange; unusual
• Peevish: Irritable; easily annoyed; fractious
• Perilous: Dangerous; risky; hazardous
• Pernicious: Highly harmful; destructive; malignant
• Pessimistic: Expecting the worst; hopeless; gloomy
• Petty: Small-minded; trivial; spiteful
• Petulant: Bad-tempered; sulky; irritable
• Phony: Fake; insincere; not genuine
• Pitiful: Evoking pity; inadequate; contemptible
• Plain: Lacking beauty; simple; unadorned
• Poisonous: Toxic; harmful; destructive
• Pompous: Self-important; pretentious; grandiose
• Poor: Lacking quality; inferior; impoverished
• Possessive: Overly controlling; jealous; unwilling to share
• Precarious: Unsafe; unstable; uncertain
• Presumptious: Arrogant; brazen; overconfident
• Pretentious: Showy; attempting to impress; pompous
• Prickly: Easily offended; irritable; spiky
• Problematic: Causing difficulty; troublesome; doubtful
• Profligate: Wasteful; recklessly extravagant; wildly immoral
• Prolonged: Extended excessively; drawn-out
• Provocative: Causing anger or strong reaction; inflammatory
• Prudish: Excessively proper; easily shocked; puritanical
• Puny: Weak; small; insignificant
• Putrid: Rotten; foul-smelling; decomposed
• Puzzling: Confusing; hard to understand; baffling

Neutral adjectives that start with P

The following adjectives that start with P have neither a positive nor negative connotation.

• Palpable: Tangible; easily perceived; noticeable
• Part-time: Working fewer hours; not full-time
• Pedestrian: Ordinary; lacking inspiration; related to walking
• Perpendicular: At right angles; upright
• Pictorial: Visual; relating to pictures
• Porous: Full of pores; permeable
• Potable: Safe to drink; drinkable
• Premier: Leading; most important; foremost
• Prepaid: Paid in advance; pre-funded
• Probationary: On trial; provisional; conditional
• Prismatic: Relating to a prism; brightly varied
• Proximal: Nearer to a point; closer
• Palatable: Acceptable to taste or mind; tolerable
• Parallel: Running side by side; similar; comparable
• Particular: Specific; distinct; special
• Passive: Accepting without resistance; inactive
• Pastel: Pale; soft in color; delicate
• Patent: Obvious; clear; evident
• Pending: Awaiting decision; unresolved
• Perennial: Lasting a long time; enduring; recurring
• Peripheral: Outer; marginal; surrounding
• Permanent: Lasting indefinitely; enduring
• Periodic: Recurring at intervals; cyclic
• Physical: Relating to the body; tangible; material
• Plainspoken: Direct; straightforward; unembellished
• Plastic: Moldable; synthetic; artificial
• Platonic: Nonsexual; purely spiritual or friendly
• Plural: More than one; multiple
• Polar: Relating to poles; opposite in nature
• Polyphonic: Producing multiple tones simultaneously; harmonious
• Portable: Easy to carry; movable
• Potential: Possible; capable of developing
• Present: Existing now; current; in attendance
• Prevailing: Widespread; dominant; predominant
• Primary: First in order; main; fundamental
• Pristine: Original; pure; unspoiled
• Probable: Likely to occur; plausible
• Progressive: Developing gradually; step-by-step; forward-thinking
• Prolific: Producing abundantly; highly fruitful
• Prompt: Immediate; without delay
• Proper: Correct; appropriate; suitable
• Public: Open to all; relating to community or people in general
• Pungent: Strong in taste or smell; sharp

Adjectives with other letters

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

Frequently asked questions about adjectives with P

What are some adjectives starting with P to describe a person?

There are many adjectives starting with P that can be used to describe a person. Some of the more common ones include:

• Passionate
• Patient
• Plucky
• Poised
• Pragmatic
• Prudent
• Paranoid
• Peevish
• Pompous
• Prudish
• Progressive

You can use the QuillBot Ask AI chatbot to find adjectives that start with P (or any other letter!)

What are some funny adjectives that start with P?

Here’s a list of some of the funnier adjectives that start with P:

• Peculiar: Odd in a way that makes you go, “Huh?”
• Pompous: So full of yourself you need your own zip code
• Plucky: Brave, but in an adorably clueless way
• Puny: So tiny it makes ants feel tall
• Peevish: Perpetually irritated, usually about nothing important
• Pouty: Looking like your favorite snack got canceled
• Pungent: Smelling like regret and gym socks had a baby
• Preposterous: So absurd it deserves a round of applause
• Piddly: Pathetically small, like your paycheck after taxes
• Persnickety: Fussy to the point of making everyone else lose the will to live

You can always turn to QuillBot’s AI chat to ask about funny adjectbives starting with any letter!