Adjectives That Start With Q | List & Examples
There aren’t that many adjectives (words that describe a noun) that start with Q in English. Here are the most common adjectives that start with Q:
- Quiet
- Quick
- Qualified
- Quaint
This article includes lists of adjectives that start with Q, divided into positive, negative, and neutral.
If you’re looking for a particular adjective that starts with Q, you can always describe it to QuillBot’s AI chat to get the answer.
Positive adjectives that start with Q
This is a list of adjectives that start with Q with a positive connotation:
- Quaint: Charming; old-fashioned; twee
- Qualified: Competent; meeting the necessary requirements; skilled
- Queenly: Regal; noble, composed
- Quick: Fast; prompt; swift
- Quick-witted: Mentally sharp; able to respond swiftly; clever
- Quiet: Calm; peaceful; not loud
- Quintessential: Representing the perfect example; ideal; classic
The response from the calm and quiet attendant was quick and on point.
Jane’s queenly demeanor disguised her quick-witted and quintessential professionalism.
Negative adjectives that start with Q
Here’s a list of adjectives that start with a Q with a negative connotation. If these were applied to a person, they would almost always be considered insults.
- Quarrelsome: Argumentative; always looking to quarrel
- Querulous: Habitually complaining; whiny; fretful
- Quirky: Unconventional; eccentric; a little odd (can be positive in some contexts)
- Quixotic: Unrealistically idealistic; impractical; foolishly romantic
Some saw Arvin as merely quirky, whereas others found him to be deluded and quixotic.
Neutral adjectives that start with Q
The following adjectives that start with Q have neither a positive nor negative connotation.
- Quadrilateral: Four-sided; relating to four-sided figures
- Qualified: Limited; restricted; not absolute (different sense from positive)
- Quantitative: Relating to quantity; measurable
- Quarterly: Occurring every three months; four times a year
- Quaternary: Fourth in order; relating to the number four
- Queuing: Waiting in line; arranged in sequence
- Questionable: Uncertain; open to doubt
- Questioning: Curious; skeptical; seeking information
- Quiescent: Inactive; dormant; at rest
- Quiet: Not noisy; calm
- Quintuple: Fivefold; multiplied by five
- Quivering: Trembling; shaking slightly
The stress of the quarterly results sometimes reduced Sian to a quivering nervous wreck.
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 Q
- What are some adjectives starting with Q to describe a person?
-
There are many adjectives starting with Q that can be used to describe a person. Some of the more common ones include:
- Qualified
- Queenly
- Quick
- Quick-witted
- Quiet
- Quarrelsome
- Quirky
- Quixotic
- Quiescent
You can use the QuillBot Ask AI chatbot to find adjectives that start with Q (or any other letter!)
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Marshall, T. (2025, August 28). Adjectives That Start With Q | List & Examples. Quillbot. Retrieved October 14, 2025, from https://quillbot.com/blog/word-finder/adjectives-that-start-with-q/
