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09/17/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 09/18/2025 03:18
How to use -ed and -ing adjectives in English
September 17, 2025Aislin Pickett Davis, M.A.
How to use -ed and -ing adjectives in English
Learning English? You'll be *interested* in this *interesting* post about adjectives!
September 17, 2025 Aislin Pickett Davis, M.A.
Boring? Bored? Interesting? Interested? These English adjectives sound similar, but they are not the same! In fact, changing which adjective you use can dramatically impact the meaning of a sentence.
But don't worry, with this guide, you'll feel sure when using -ing and -ed adjectives!
In this post:
- When to use -ing vs. -ed adjectives
- Using -ing adjectives for inspiration
- Using -ed adjectives for emotion
- Common adjectives with -ing and -ed forms
- Examples of adjectives with -ing and -ed forms
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When to use -ING vs -ED adjectives
To decide which adjective is correct, there's a simple trick that English learners of any level can use: The -ing adjectives are about inspiration (I = ING), and the -ed adjectives are for effect and emotion (E = ED).
Use -ING adjectives for INSPIRATION
Think of -ing adjectives as causing a feeling.
Use -ing adjectives to describe people, places, and things that inspire a feeling.
For example:
- This movie is so boring!
- I love talking to all your interesting friends.
- Wow, we had such an exciting day!
- That song is so annoying.
Use -ED adjectives for EMOTION
Think of -ed adjectives as effects and emotions.
If you're describing the emotion you feel about something, use -ed adjectives.
For example:
- I'm so excited for the party!
- He's annoyed at his dad.
- They're very frustrated at work!
Common adjectives with -ING and -ED forms
Many English adjectives have related forms, one with -ing and another with -ed:
| INSPIRATION | EFFECT / EMOTION |
| amazing | amazed |
| amusing | amused |
| annoying | annoyed |
| boring | bored |
| comforting | comforted |
| confusing | confused |
| depressing | depressed |
| disappointing | disappointed |
| disgusting | disgusted |
| embarrassing | embarrassed |
| encouraging | encouraged |
| exciting | excited |
| exhausting | exhausted |
| fascinating | fascinated |
| frustrating | frustrated |
| fulfilling | fulfilled |
| humiliating | humiliated |
| inspiring | inspired |
| insulting | insulted |
| interesting | interested |
| irritating | irritated |
| overwhelming | overwhelmed |
| pleasing | pleased |
| relaxing | relaxed |
| surprising | surprised |
| threatening | threatened |
| troubling | troubled |
| tiring | tired |
| worrying | worried |
Examples of adjectives with -ING and -ED forms
A helpful way to understand the difference between these adjectives is to look at sentences that include both forms:
| INSPIRATION | EFFECT / EMOTION |
| The movie is boring, | so you feel bored. |
| Zari's story is interesting, | so Oscar is interested in it. |
| This is an exciting soccer game, | so Eddy is very excited. |
| What a frustrating project! | I'm so frustrated about it. |
| Today was very tiring, | so we are super tired! |
| Running a marathon is exhausting, | so the athletes are exhausted at the end! |
Swapping -ed and -ing adjectives can be confusing for the listener-and it can sometimes be funny or even embarrassing!
Consider the difference between these pairs of sentences:
| Eddy is at a meeting, and he's so bored! | Eddy is at a meeting, and he's so boring! |
| Effect / emotion | Inspiration |
| Eddy feels like the meeting is not very fun, and he wants to fall asleep. | The other people at the meeting think that Eddy is not very fun. They want to fall asleep when Eddy talks! |
| Lin's cat is very loud in the middle of the night. The cat is so annoying! | Lin's cat is very loud in the middle of the night. The cat is so annoyed! |
| Inspiration | Effect / emotion |
| The cat causes Lin to feel upset, and it disrupts Lin's sleep. | Something else is making the cat upset-like maybe he's hungry. |
| Bea is visiting a haunted house, and she is so frightened! | Bea is wearing her zombie costume, and she is so frightening! |
| Effect / emotion | Inspiration |
| Bea feels nervous and scared. | Bea is scaring other people. She's the cause of their fear! |
| I want to leave Oscar's class because I'm not very interested. | I want to leave Oscar's class because I'm not very interesting. |
| Effect / emotion | Inspiration |
| I don't care about the topic of Oscar's class, so I'm leaving. | Other people don't care about the things I say, so I'm leaving. |
You're ready to use -ING and -ED adjectives!
Use this inspiration vs. effect memory trick and the explanations and examples above to help you learn the differences between English adjectives. With practice and patience, you'll be using them confidently in no time!
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