Word combination adjective noun

Adjectives and Nouns! Big list of adjective noun combinations in English with examples. Learn these adjective + noun collocations to hep your English sound more fluently and naturally.

Adjective Noun Collocations

• Absolute agony
• Absolute despair
• Active ingredient
• Alphabetical order
• Alternative energy
• Alternative medicine
• Artificial limb
• Back pay
• Back road
• Back street
• Back taxes
• Bad breath
• Bad diet
• Bad habit
• Bad loser
• Bad mood
• Bad temper
• Balanced diet
• Bare essentials
• Basic right
• Best friends
• Big brother | big sister
• Big deal
• Big decision
• Big decision
• Big disappointment
• Big dreamer
• Big drinker
• Big eater
• Big improvement
• Big mistake
• Big money
• Big surprise
• Big talker
• Blind faith
• Blind loyalty
• Blind obedience
• Blond hair
• Brief chat
• Bright color
• Bright future
• Bright idea
• Broken home
• Casual clothes
• Casual relationship
• Certain amount
• Chilly day / night / wind chilly weather
• Chilly reception
• Clear message
• Clear understanding
• Clean energy
• Common knowledge
• Common language
• Complete agreement
• Complete idiot
• Daily life
• Dead body
• Dead end
• Dead-end job
• Deadly weapon
• Deafening silence
• Deep depression
• Deep devotion
• Deep feeling
• Deep pockets
• Deep sleep
• Deep thought
• Deep trouble
• Detailed description
• Direct flight
• Direct quote
• Dirty joke
• Dirty laundry
• Dirty player
• Distant relative
• Dual nationality
• Early days
• Early night
• Early riser
• Early start
• Easy answer
• Easy money
• Easy question
• Economic growth
• Educational game
• Empty promises
• Empty words
• Entry-level job
• Equal rights
• Essential services
• Ethical investment
• Ethical standards
• Ethnic minority
• Ethnic tensions
• Even number
• Excruciating pain
• Express bus/coach/train
• Express service / mail
• Express wish / aim / purpose
• Fair deal
• False impression
• False teeth
• Familiar face
• Fatal accident
• Fatal mistake
• Flat battery
• Flat tyre
• Foreign policy
• Free speech
• Free spirit
• Front door
• Front page
• Front row
• Front seat
• Good cause
• Good chance
• Good company
• Good deal
• Good luck
• Good time
• Great admiration
• Great anger
• Great deal of
• Great detail
• Great disappointment
• Great enjoyment
• Great excitement
• Great failure
• Great fun
• Great happiness
• Great joy
• Great length
• Great number
• Great power
• Great pride
• Great quantity
• Great sensitivity
• Great skill
• Great strength
• Great understanding
• Great wealth
• Growing number (of)
• Guilty conscience
• Guilty party
• Happy ending
• Happy hour
• Hard day
• Hard exam
• Hard job
• Hard life / evidence / drugs
• Hard work
• Healthy diet
• Heavy book / bag / suitcase / load
• Heavy coat / sweater
• Heavy drinker
• Heavy drinker
• Heavy features
• Heavy losses
• Heavy meal
• Heavy rain
• Heavy schedule
• Heavy sleeper
• Heavy smoker/drinker
• Heavy snow
• Heavy traffic
• Heavy traffic / rain / snow
• Heavy week
• Heavy workload
• Hidden extras
• High level
• High quality
• High standard
• High/low cost
• High/low density
• High/low energy
• High/low esteem
• High/low expectation (of)
• High/low level (of)
• High/low opinion
• High/low pressure
• High/low price
• High/low quality
• High/low speed
• Honest mistake
• Human cost
• Human error
• Human life
• Icy wind
• Ill effects
• Ill health
• Immediate action
• Immediate family
• Immediate future
• Innocent victim
• Inside information
• Intense pressure
• Internal injury
• Internal organ
• Irreparable damage
• Joint account
• Joint effort
• Joint owners
• Just cause
• Key issue
• Key role
• Large amount
• Large number (of)
• Large population
• Large proportion
• Large quantity
• Large scale
• Late night
• Legal advice
• Level playing-field
• Level teaspoon
• Liquid refreshments
• Little brother/ little sister
• Live music
• Living things
• Long time
• Long way
• Loved one
• Maiden voyage
• Main course
• Main road
• Main thing
• Major problem
• Married couple
• Mass market
• Medical care
• Medical history
• Mental illness
• Missing in action
• Mixed feelings
• Moral obligation
• Mysterious circumstances
• Nasty habit
• Nasty shock
• Native country
• Native speaker
• Natural causes
• Natural disaster
• Natural resources
• Negative attitude
• Nervous wreck
• Net profit
• Net result
• Net worth
• New generation
• New job
• Next time
• Next-door neighbors
• Nice time
• Non-stop flight
• Occupational hazard
• Odd number
• Odd socks
• Old age
• Old friend
• Opening hours
• Optional extras
• Organic farming
• Overall effect
• Painful memory
• Painful reminder
• Personal belongings
• Political prisoner
• Poor eyesight
• Poor health
• Popular belief
• Private life
• Public opinion
• Quick fix
• Quick reply
• Quiet life
• Quiet night
• Racial discrimination
• Radical reform
• Rainy day
• Rave review
• Real life
• Real wages
• Reasonable explanation
• Regular exercise
• Rhetorical question
• Rich colors / sounds / smells / tastes
• Rich history / culture / vocabulary
• Rich person
• Rich sauce / cake
• Rough draft
• Rough estimate
• Rough idea
• Round number
• Runny nose
• Safe distance
• Serious accident
• Serious illness
• Serious injury
• Severe penalty
• Severe pressure
• Severe rain/shortage
• Severe weather/winter
• Speedy recovery
• Steady job
• Steady relationship
• Stiff competition
• Strong accent
• Strong coffee / cheese
• Strong criticism
• Strong denial
• Strong influence
• Strong person / animal / wind / current
• Strong smell / taste / colour / accent/sense
• Strong supporter / opponent
• Strong view
• Tight grip
• Tight schedule
• Total bliss
• Total ecstasy
• Total madness
• Ulterior motive
• Uncertain future
• Unfair dismissal
• Urban sprawl
• Utter catastrophe
• Utter loathing
• Vague idea
• Vague memory
• Valid point
• Valid reason
• Valuable contribution
• Valuable information
• Valuable lesson
• Violent movie
• Visiting hours
• Vital organs
• Vital role
• Weak point
• Wear and tear
• Welcome change
• Wild animal
• Wrong number
• Wrong way
• Young child
• Young couple
• Young person
• Zero tolerance
• Zero visibility

Examples of Adjective Noun Collocations

List of adjective and noun combinations from A to Z with example sentences.

Adjective Noun Combinations (A)

List of adjective + noun collocations that start with A.

Absolute agony

• It’s not very nice when you see a grown man cry and he was in absolute agony.

Absolute despair

• I can’t remember the last time I travelled to a game in such trepidation, absolute despair.

Active ingredient

• The only active ingredient in this medicine is aspirin.

Alphabetical order

• The names are listed in alphabetical order.

Alternative energy

• She is in favor of exploring alternative energy sources in the state.

Alternative medicine

• Alternative medicine has been gaining credence in recent years.

Artificial limb

• If you are missing an arm or leg, an artificial limb can sometimes replace it.

Adjective Noun Combinations (B)

List of adjective + noun collocations that start with B.

Back pay

• The workers are demanding their back pay.

Back road

• Kadi tried a back road, but his mother died on the way.

Back street

• Cruising the back streets, we found the kind of place we like.

Back taxes

• Yet he owes over $ 32, 000 in back taxes.

Bad breath

• Smoking gives you bad breath.

Bad habit

• Biting your nails is a bad habit.

Bad loser

• You’re just a bad loser Phil, that’s your problem.

Bad mood

• The news had put him in a bad mood.

Bad temper

• Kelly ruled by his bad temper.

Balanced diet

• It is important to have a balanced diet.

Bare essentials

• We only had the bare essentials.

Basic right

• The law recognises a man’s basic right to defend his home and his property.

Best friend

• Fiona was my best friend.

Big brother | big sister

• Jake was my big brother and I admired him.

Big deal

• This audition is a big deal for Joey.

Big decision

• Marriage is a big decision.

Big disappointment

• For us it is a big disappointment.

Big dreamer

• Do you know I’m a big dreamer.

Big drinker

• He was a big personality, a big drinker, a womanizer, and a wild man,” Ford said.

Big eater

• She wrote in her diary that he was not a big eater and that “down there, his vitals were missing.

Big improvement

• The nonprofit shelters often seem like a big improvement.

Big mistake

• They made a big mistake.

Big money

• John won big money in Vegas last year.

Big surprise

• His dying was not any big surprise.

Big talker

• It isn’t easy for me; I’m a big talker.

Blind faith

• He believes that our blind faith in technology is misplaced.

Blind loyalty

• Sarah was criticized for her blind loyalty to her husband.

Blind obedience

• With blind obedience, I allowed my father to organize my life.

Blond hair

• She’s got a blond hair.

Brief chat

• My manager said he wanted to have a brief chat with me.

Bright color

• We used a lot of neon and bold bright colors.

Bright future

• Abani is a first novelist with a very bright future.

Broken home

• She is the product of a broken home.

Adjective Noun Collocations (C)

List of adjective + noun combinations that start with C.

Casual clothes

• Students were able to wear casual clothes.

Casual relationship

• I just want a casual relationship with him.

Certain amount

• You have a certain amount of freedom to explore new techniques.

Chilly day / night / wind chilly weather

• It’s a chilly day.

Clear message

• The clear message coming from the government is that they are getting tough on crime.

Clear understanding

• Success depends on a clear understanding of the problem.

Clean energy

• Iceland possesses sufficient quantities of clean energy sources that it does not need to rely on fossil fuels.

Common knowledge

• Their affair is common knowledge.

Common language

• Most of the countries of South America share a common language: Spanish.

Complete agreement

• We were in complete agreement.

Complete idiot

• I felt a complete idiot.

Adjective Noun Collocations (D)

List of adjective + noun combinations that start with D.

Daily life

• Commuting is a part of daily life for many people.

Dead body

• I am afraid of a dead body.

Dead silence

• There was a gasp from Peter and then a dead silence.

Dead-end job

• Waitressing was a dead-end job.

Deadly weapon

• A knife is a deadly weapon.

Deep breath

• She took a deep breath.

Deep depression

• He sank into a deep depression.

Deep devotion

• We will miss his deep devotion to our congregation and his family.

Deep feeling

• He’s truly a man of principle, and of deep feeling.

Deep pocket

• For investors with deep pockets, the Berlin property market is attractive.

Deep sleep

• She was woken from a deep sleep by a ring at the door.

Deep thought

• Working alone provides concentration and time for deep thought.

Deep trouble

• The economy is in deep trouble.

Detailed description

• You can read a detailed description of the products on their Web site.

Direct action

• Peaceful direct action by pressure groups has a powerful effect on public opinion.

Direct flight

• This is the first direct flight to Tokyo.

Direct quote

• Article is a mess, particularly with overuse of direct quotes.

Dirty joke

• I wish he wouldn’t tell dirty jokes.

Dirty laundry

• There was a pile of dirty laundry on his bed.

Dirty player

• She’s a dirty player.

Distant relative

• Beyond this close circle are more distant relatives and casual friends.

Dual nationality

• She has dual nationality.

Adjective Noun Collocations (E)

List of adjectives and nouns combinations that start with E.

Early days

• It’s early days yet. We don’t know if the play will be a success.

Early night

• I think I’ll have an early night.

Early riser

• Wish out loud that you’d rather be an early riser.

Early start

• An early start enabled us to avoid the traffic.

Easy answer

• That’s an easy answer.

Easy money

• He started stealing as a way of making easy money.

Easy question

• That’s a really easy question.

Economic growth

• The economic growth dipped to a low point last year.

Educational technology

• For educational technology to be used effectively, it has to be planned and managed well.

Empty promise

• I didn’t make any empty promises.

Entry-level job

• We need to create more entry-level jobs for people with the fewest job skills who need opportunities the most.

Equal rights

• Women demanded equal rights.

Essential services

• The law prohibits workers in essential services from striking.

Ethical investment

• Ethical investment funds typically avoid military manufacturers, oil companies and tobacco producers.

Ethnic minority

• The government worked out special plans for the integration of ethnic minorities into the society.

Express bus/coach/train

• Express bus service permits were issued freely without regard to passenger traffic.

Adjective Noun Collocations (F)

List of adjective noun combinations that start with F.

Fair deal

• To get a fair deal you need to be fully aware of your legal entitlements.

False impression

• Many people got the false impression she didn’t care.

False teeth

• The worst thing is that your false teeth keep falling out on the dancefloor.

Familiar face

• I couldn’t see any familiar faces in the room.

Fatal accident

• This is a fatal accident.

Flat battery

• The car’s got a flat battery.

Flat tyre

• I had a flat tyre on the way home.

Foreign policy

• Support for human rights is a key element in our foreign policy.

Free speech

• The demonstrators were demanding rights of assembly and free speech.

Free spirit

• I like to think of myself as a free spirit.

Front door

• A gust of wind blew the front door shut.

Front page

• The newspaper report was on the front page.

Front row

• He took the outside of the front row away from Michael Andretti.

Front seat

• The one in the front seat pressed a gun to her chest.

Adjective Noun Collocations (G)

List of adjective + noun combinations that start with G.

Good cause

• The function took a lot of organizing, but was all in a good cause.

Good chance

• Nowadays a premature baby has a very good chance of survival.

Good company

• The children are very good company at this age.

Good deal

• I’m feeling a good deal better.

Good idea

• It would be a good idea to call before we leave.

Good luck

• Good luck! I hope it goes well.

Good time

• Mike and I shared some really good times.

Great admiration

• I read the book, when it came out, with great admiration; the movie is even better.

Great anger

• That move has prompted great anger across the country.

Great deal of

• The paintings cost a great deal of money.

Great detail

• He would describe it in great detail.

Great disapointment

• “Julie was a great disappointment to her,” Mr. Gurian said.

Great enjoyment

• In my own work, I take great enjoyment playing off formality- making something predictable feel subversive.

Great excitement

• Sofia always prepared for it with great excitement.

Great failure

• The meeting between reader and writer was a great failure.

Great fun

• He relaxed and was great fun.

Great happiness

• It gives us great happiness that we can see all of them today.

Great joy

• Friends found great joy in his humor.

Great length

• Both our guys have great length and height.

Great number

• A great number of such marriages end in divorce.

Great power

• Writer shows how the reporters did not wield great power.

Great pride

• He took great pride in their many accomplishments.

Great quantity

• The Internet enables the search for a great quantity of information.

Great sensitivity

• I have a great sensitivity to kids.

Great skill

• He is a chef of great skill and intelligence.

Great strength

• She was a woman of valor and great strength.

Great understanding

• He’s got a great understanding of this offense.

Great wealth

• He soon acquired great wealth and power.

Guilty party

• The guilty party may be guilty but they have provided a service.

Adjective Noun Combinations (H)

List of adjective + noun collocations that start with H.

Happy ending

• This is a story with a happy ending.

Happy hour

• All in all, it promises to be a huge weekend with a happy hour and disco etal.

Hard day

• It’s been a long hard day and I’ve been working very hard.

Hard exam

• It was a hard exam and the final question was really hard.

Hard life/ evidence/drugs

• They had a hard life and worked through hard times.

Hard work

• Looking after children can be hard work.

Healthy diet

• It is certainly part of a healthy diet, we make that clear.

Heavy drinker

• She became a heavy drinker in her midteens.

Heavy features

• He was tall and strong with heavy features.

Heavy losses

• The company’s heavy losses will lead to many redundancies.

Heavy meal

• It was a very heavy meal – far too much meat and not enough vegetables or salads.

Heavy rain

• The match was played in heavy rain.

Heavy schedule

• Let’s go to bed. We’ve got a heavy schedule tomorrow.

Heavy sleeper

• Don’t stay up too late, you’ll be a heavy sleeper!

Heavy smoker/drinker

• He’s been a heavy smoker and drinker all his adult life.

Heavy snow

• Heavy snow is forecast for Scotland.

Heavy traffic

• It has been widely praised for reducing heavy traffic in the city.

Heavy week

• I’ve had a really heavy week – I’ve got a really heavy timetable this term.

Heavy workload

• She’s struggling to cope with the heavy workload.

Hidden extras

• Be careful, there may be hidden extras.

High quality

• These are leather goods of high quality.

High standard

• We aim to maintain high standards of customer care.

High/low cost

• We paid a high cost for that.

High/low density

• High density represents phloem poles.

High/low energy

• We really need high energy.

High/low esteem

• Am I a woman of independence and high esteem?

High/low expectation (of)

• The team has high expectation of itself and enjoys the big occasion.

High/low level (of)

• There should be a high level of concern, he said.

High/low opinion

• They have a high opinion of the court.

High/low pressure

• High pressure and high intensity really worked for us.

High/low price

• It won’t pay the high price.

High/low quality

• What do you think makes a quality product?

High/low speed

• Does driving high speed on low gear damage the car?

Human error

• The government later said that the crash was caused by human error.

Human life

• I am the last person to undervalue even one human life.

Adjective Noun Combinations (I)

List of adjective + noun collocations that start with I.

Icy wind

• Fans braved icy winds to watch the match.

Ill effects

• Despite her ordeal, she seems to have suffered no ill effects.

Ill health

• He had to retire due to ill health.

Immediate family

• Only her immediate family knew she had heart disease.

Immediate future

• There will be no major changes in the immediate future.

Immediate response

• At times, these images may be so powerful as to demand an immediate response.

Innocent victim

• All these people are innocent victims.

Inside information

• He was accused of trading on inside information.

Intense pressure

• He has refused to step down in the face of intense pressure.

Internal injury

• He was coughing blood, a sign that he had internal injuries.

Internal organ

• She died after suffering serious damage to internal organs.

Irreparable damage

• His eyesight suffered irreparable damage.

Adjective Noun Combinations (J)

List of adjective + noun collocations that start with J.

Joint account

• My husband and I have a joint account.

Joint effort

• We had many fine individual performances, but the win was a real joint effort.

Joint owners

• Should he change the deed to make us joint owners?

Adjective Noun Combinations (K)

List of adjective + noun collocations that start with K.

Key issue

• This is a key issue; we need more time to think about it.

Key role

• The report recognized the key role of teachers.

Adjective Noun Combinations (L)

List of adjective + noun collocations that start with L.

Large amount

• There is a large amount of bureaucracy,” agrees Bleay.

Large number (of)

• A large number of drinks are consumed.

Large population

• Large population centres are ethnically diverse.

Large proportion

• A large proportion of the islands of Asia are mountainous.

Large quantity

• Police said a large quantity of plants had been recovered.

Large scale

• That’s a large scale indeed.

Late night

• She doesn’t like to walk home late at night.

Legal advice

• Good legal advice can be expensive.

Liquid refreshments

• There were times when a few drops of liquid refreshment passed their lips.

Little brother | little sister

• My little brother is a doctor.

Live music

• Live music can sound very different from recorded music.

Living things

• The sun affects all living things.

Long time

• I first met Jennifer a long time ago.

Long way

• I was still a long way from home.

Loved one

• Many people feel guilty after the death of a loved one.

Adjective Noun Combinations (M)

List of adjective + noun collocations that start with M.

Maiden voyage

• The Titanic sank on its maiden voyage.

Main course

• These are all main course salads.

Main road

• The main road was blocked for twenty-five minutes.

Major problem

• He’s got a major problem with his hooves.

Married couple

• They are a newly married couple.

Mass market

• We sell these clothes to the mass market in department stores and to high earners in boutiques.

Medical care

• The area is underserved for medical care.

Medical history

• Your doctor will ask for your medical history.

Mental illness

• The centre provides help for people suffering from mental illness.

Mixed feelings

• She had mixed feelings about giving up her job.

Moral obligation

• We have a moral obligation to protect the environment.

Mysterious circumstances

• The ship sank in mysterious circumstances.

Adjective Noun Combinations (N)

List of adjective + noun collocations that start with N.

Nasty habit

• He had the nasty habit of eating with his mouth open.

Nasty shock

• Come and sit down. You’ve had a nasty shock.

Native country

• After five years in America, she returned to her native country, Japan.

Native speaker

• For the spoken language, students are taught by native speakers.

Natural causes

• He died from natural causes, believed to be a heart attack.

Natural disaster

• Los Angeles will be hit by another terrible natural disaster.

Natural resources

• We must preserve our natural resources.

Negative attitude

• Many teenagers have a very negative attitude towards cooking.

Nervous wreck

• The attack had left her a nervous wreck.

Net profit

• The company made a net profit of $10.5 million.

Net result

• The net result of all these changes is that schools should be able to deliver a better service to pupils.

Net worth

• At that time, the company had assets of $5.9 million and a net worth of $11,000.

New generation

• This is a new generation of vehicle.

New job

• I’m thinking of applying for a new job.

Next-door neighbours

• Our next-door neighbours say they’ll look after our cat for us while we’re away.

Nice time

• I was having a nice time here for about three days.

Non-stop flight

• This is the first non-stop flight to Tokyo.

Adjective Noun Combinations (O)

List of adjective noun collocations that start with O.

Occupational hazard

• Eye strain is an occupational hazard if you work in front of a computer.

Odd job

• Sam does odd jobs for friends and neighbours.

Odd socks

• He was wearing odd socks – one blue one and one black one.

Old age

• When you get to old age, everything seems to take longer.

Opening hours

• It has opening hours from 05 : 30 to 23 : 00.

Optional extras

• Although the heater was standard, the radio was still an optional extra.

Organic farming

• Organic farming techniques and success story of a farmer were also shown.

Overall effect

• The overall effect of the painting is overwhelming.

Adjective Noun Combinations (P)

List of adjective noun collocations that start with P.

Painful memory

• He sobbed as he relived the painful memory.

Painful reminder

• This violence is a painful reminder that peace is still a long way away.

Personal belongings

• You should be given a private locker to store your personal belongings.

Political prisoner

• The total number of political prisoners to be released is 74.

Poor eyesight

• They have poor eyesight, but keen senses of hearing, smell, and touch.

Poor health

• He had been in poor health since suffering a stroke last year.

Popular belief

• Contrary to popular belief, birds need more than just seed.

Private life

• In their private life, he’s afraid of her.

Public opinion

• I think public opinion is that no one condones these places.

Adjective Noun Combinations (Q)

List of adjective + noun collocations that start with Q.

Quick fix

• This is just not another quick fix with a bucket of sand.

Quiet life

• She lived a quiet life in the countryside.

Quiet night

• He says he’s really tired or he wants a quiet night.

Adjective Noun Combinations (R)

List of adjective + noun collocations that start with R.

Racial discrimination

• All of our decisions are free of any kind of racial discrimination.

Rainy day

• It’s a cold rainy day in October.

Rapturous reception

• He was given a rapturous reception.

Rave review

• They are bound to earn rave reviews from all who indulge.

Real life

• I love that sense of revelation just like in real life.

Real wages

• Official statistics show real wages declining by 24%.

Regular exercise

• Regular exercise helps keep your weight down.

Rhetorical question

• His critics even smile in anticipation of a rhetorical question meeting with a devastating reply.

Rich person

• A rich person is seldom in want of a friend.

Rough draft

• We send over rough drafts and they try to figure it out.

Rough estimate

• I can give you a rough estimate of the amount of wood you will need.

Rough idea

• Can you give me a rough idea of how much the repairs will cost?

Round number

• A hundred pounds is a good round number.

Runny nose

• A runny nose may be the result of an allergic reaction.

Rapturous reception

• He was given a rapturous reception.

Adjective Noun Combinations (S)

List of adjective + noun collocations that start with S.

Safe distance

• You should keep a safe distance from the car in front.

Serious accident

• The road is closed following a serious accident.

Serious illness

• Her husband was in hospital for six months with a serious illness.

Serious injury

• He says that the allegations caused serious injury to his reputation.

Severe penalty

• The magistrate imposed severe penalties – they were severely punished.

Severe pressure

• We are under severe pressure to reduce the wage bill and make 500 workers redundant.

Severe rain/shortage

• The heavy rain caused severe damage to crops and, later on, a severe shortage of food.

Severe weather/winter

• The severe weather/severe winter meant that hundreds of schools had to be closed.

Speedy recovery

• We wish him a speedy recovery.

Steady job

• I haven’t had a steady job since last March.

Steady relationship

• It was his first steady relationship.

Stiff competition

• There is stiff competition between the three leading soap manufacturers.

Strong accent

• She speaks English quite well but with a strong French accent.

Strong coffee / cheese

• I needed some strong coffee to wake me up.

Strong criticism

• The planned sale had attracted strong criticism from some farmers.

Strong denial

• If you don’t have a strong denial mechanism, try waking up in your bed at 3am when there are no distractions.

Strong influence

• Martina Hingis has always exerted a strong influence on the way I play tennis.

Strong supporter / opponent

• He was a strong supporter of co-education.

Strong view

• I don’t have very strong views on this and I had some support.

Adjective Noun Combinations (T)

List of adjective + noun collocations that start with T.

Terrible conscience

• I have a terrible conscience about it.

Tight grip

• The recession could be avoided if business keeps a tight grip on its costs.

Tight schedule

• It was an alarmingly tight schedule.

Total bliss

• It’s just total bliss.

Total ecstasy

• Her eyes are closed, and the girl seems lost in total ecstasy or even in deep sleep.

Total madness

• It’s a revolution, and it’s total madness,” says Internet telephony guru Jeff Pulver.

Adjective Noun Combinations (U)

List of adjective + noun collocations that start with U.

Ulterior motive

• He’s just being nice. I don’t think he has any ulterior motives.

Uncertain future

• After he is gone, we face a highly uncertain future.

Unfair dismissal

• He still hopes to win his claim against unfair dismissal.

Urban sprawl

• Some bears have traveled up to 40 miles into the urban sprawl.

Utter catastrophe

• People fear most an utter catastrophe on the financial side.

Adjective Noun Combinations (V)

List of adjective + noun collocations that start with V.

Vague memory

• I have only a vague memory of what the house looked like.

Valid point

• I think that’s a valid point.

Valid reason

• I had a perfectly valid reason for being there.

Valuable contribution

• Muriel has made a valuable contribution to our company’s success.

Valuable information

• I would like to share this very valuable information to my customers.

Violent movie

• Children should not be allowed to watch violent movies.

Visiting hours

• The people who beat us came to the hospital in visiting hours.

Vital organs

• The judiciary and the others are vital organs of the new democracy.

Vital role

• The police play a vital role in our society.

Adjective Noun Combinations (W, Y, Z)

List of adjective + noun collocations that start with W, Y, Z.

Weak point

• There are some weak points in her argument.

Wild animal

• In my opinion, wild animals should not be kept in zoos.

Wrong number

• I expected to be told that I had the wrong number.

Young person

• It’s a group of young people.

Zero visibility

• With the strong wind and snow, there is practically zero visibility.

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Useful Adjective Noun Combinations | Videos

Common Expressions and Collocations with DEEP, BIG and GREAT to Improve Your English Fluency.

Learn Useful Adjective Noun Collocations with Examples to Improve your Spoken English.

300+ Useful Adjective Noun Combinations from A-Z

Last Updated on March 16, 2023



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A collocation is two or more words that tend to be used together by native speakers of a language. The best way to understand a collocation is to see one in action:

This is strong coffee.

The collocation here is ‘strong’ and ‘coffee’. But what happens if we replace ‘strong’ with a synonym like ‘powerful’? Can we say ‘powerful coffee’?

To a native speaker ‘powerful coffee’ sounds strange and incorrect. So we need to know which words will work together to make word combinations that sound correct.

This is, of course, what makes collocations difficult for non-native speakers. You have to know which words go together, and the best way to do that is to learn them together.

There are a number of different word combinations that can make up a collocation. For example, there are verb + adverb collocations (agree completely) and adverb + adjective (fully aware). Strong coffee is an example of an adjective + noun collocation, which is what we shall be looking at in this lesson.

5 Most Common Adjective – Noun Collocations

Let’s start with some adjectives and see which nouns they are commonly used with:

1. express (adjective)

an express bus / coach / train (travelling very fast; operating very quickly)

• Susan took the express train to the airport in order to save time.

express service / mail (for a letter / package)

• Send the letter by express mail if you want it to arrive tomorrow.

an express wish / aim / purpose (clearly and openly stated)

• I came here with the express purpose of speaking with the manager.

2. chilly (adjective)

a chilly day / night / wind chilly weather (too cold to be comfortable)

• Take a jacket with you. It’s a chilly night.

a chilly reception (not friendly)

• They gave him a chilly reception.

3. rich (adjective)

a rich person (having a lot of money or property)

• She is one of the richest women in the world.

a rich history / culture / vocabulary (very interesting and full of variety)

• This region has a rich history and culture.
• He has a rich vocabulary.

a rich sauce / cake (containing a lot of fat, butter, eggs, etc. and making you feel full quickly)

• The spaghetti was covered in a rich sauce.

rich colors / sounds / smells / tastes (strong or deep; very beautiful or pleasing)

• The artist is famous for the use of rich reds in her paintings.

4. heavy (adjective)

a heavy book / bag / suitcase / load (weighing a lot)

• The woman was struggling with a heavy suitcase.

heavy traffic / rain / snow (worse than usual)

• The noise of heavy traffic can drive you crazy.

a heavy coat / sweater (made of a thick material or substance)

• He put on his heavy coat and walked out into the snow.

heavy features (not delicate)

• He was tall and strong with heavy features.

5. strong (adjective)

a strong person / animal / wind / current (having great physical or natural power)

• He’s a strong athlete.
• A strong wind was blowing.

a strong supporter / opponent (holding an opinion or a belief very firmly and seriously)

• She was a strong supporter of the government.

a strong smell / taste / colour / accent (easy to see, hear, feel or smell)

• He spoke with a strong Irish accent.
• There was a strong smell coming from the rubbish bin.

strong coffee / cheese (containing a lot of substance or having a lot of flavour)

• She drinks strong coffee.
• He loves strong cheese.

Was this lesson useful for you? Let me know what do you think in the comments below!

Adjective and Noun Collocations in English! Learn a useful list of common adjective and noun Collocations in English.

Common English Collocations with Relationship, Rate, Role, Change, Increase/Decrease, Difference & Trend

30+ Common Adjective and Noun Collocations 

Adjective and Noun Collocations

Adjective + “Relationship”

• Close
• Strong
• Weak
• Paradoxical
• Interdependent
• Friendly
• Good
• Happy
• Harmonious
• Healthy
• Broken
• Failed
• Fragile
• Poor
• Stormy
• Strained
• Uneasy
• Troubled
• Intense
• Intimate
• Special.

Adjective +”Rate”

• High
• Low
• Increasing
• Decreasing
• Rapid
• Sluggish
• Slow
• Fast
• Average
• Steady
• Overall
• Downward
• Upward
• Accelerating
• Competitive
• Cheap
• Moderate
• Reasonable

Adjective + “Role”

• Key
• Central
• Important
• Crucial
• Vital
• Insignificant
• Significant
• Minor
• Major
• Decisive
• Leading
• Positive
• Prominent

Adjective + “Increase/decrease”

• Big
• Consider
• Enormous
• Exponential
• Huge
• Large
• Major
• Marked
• Massive
• Substantial
• Vast
• Moderate
• Modest
• Small
• Apparent
• Rapid
• sharp
• Steady
• Fivefold
• Overall
• Slight
• Gradual
• Significant
• Dramatic
• Large
• Surprising
• Expected
• Unexpected
• Net
• Corresponding
• Staggering

Adjective + “Difference”

• Slight
• Subtle
• Minor
• Key
• Insignificant
• Large
• Marked
• Noticeable
• Significant
• Major
• Important
• Growing
• Vital
• Essential
• Fundamental

Adjective + “Change”

• Slight
• Small
• Minor
• Major
• Great
• Significant
• Noticeable
• Abrupt
• Fundamental
• Dramatic
• Profound
• Gradual
• Drastic
• Sudden

Adjective+”Trend”

• Upward
• Downward
• Growing
• Short-Term
•  Long-Term
• Key
• Overall
• General
• Underlying
• Reserve
• Accelerating
• Predominant
• Irreversible
• Discernible

Adjective and Noun Combinations | Image

What is a compound noun?

A compound noun is a noun consisting of two or more words working together as a single unit to name a person, place, or thing. Compound nouns are usually made up of two nouns or an adjective and a noun, but other combinations are also possible, as well.

Generally, the first word in the compound noun tells us what kind of person or thing it is or what purpose he, she, or it serves, while the second word defines the person or object, telling us who or what it is. For example:

• water + bottle = water bottle (a bottle used for water)
• dining + room = dining room (a room used for dining)
• back + pack = backpack (a pack you wear on your back)
• police + man = policeman (a police officer who is a man)

Like other nouns, compound nouns can be modified by other adjectives. For example:

• “I need to buy a large water bottle.”
• “That’s a beautiful dining room.”
• “My old backpack is still my favorite.”
• “A lone policeman foiled the attempted robbery.”

You can recognize compound nouns because the meaning of the two words put together is different than the meaning of the words separately. For example, water and bottle have their own separate meanings, but when we use them together they mean a particular type of bottle that we drink water from.

Forming compound nouns

As mentioned, compound nouns are formed by combining two or more words, with the most common combinations being noun + noun or adjective + noun. However, combinations using other parts of speech are also possible. Below are the various combinations used to create compound nouns.

Noun + noun

There are a great number of compound nouns formed using the noun + noun combination. For example:

• backpack
• bathroom
• bathtub
• bedroom
• bus stop
• fish tank
• football
• handbag
• motorcycle
• shopkeeper
• tablecloth
• toothpaste
• wallpaper
• water bottle
• website
• wristwatch

Adjective + noun

There are also many compound nouns that are formed using the adjective + noun combination. For example:

• full moon
• blackberry
• blackbird
• blackboard
• cell(ular) phone
• mobile phone
• hardware
• highway
• greenhouse
• redhead
• six-pack
• small talk
• software
• whiteboard

Other combinations

Although the noun + noun and adjective + noun combinations are the most common, there are also plenty of other possibilities for forming compound nouns. For example:

Combination	Examples
noun + verb	haircut, rainfall, sunrise, sunset
noun + preposition	hanger-on, passerby
noun + prepositional phrase	brother-in-law, mother-in-law
noun + adjective	cupful, spoonful
verb + noun	breakfast, washing machine, runway, pickpocket, swimming pool
preposition + noun	bystander, influx, onlooker, underpants, upstairs
verb + preposition	check-in, checkout/check-out, drawback, lookout, makeup
adjective + verb	dry cleaning, public speaking
preposition + verb	input, output, overthrow, upturn

Writing compound nouns

Compound nouns are very common, both in written and spoken English, and there are spelling, punctuation, and pronunciation norms that we must be aware of if we want to use them correctly.

The three written forms of compound nouns

Writing compound nouns is a bit complicated due to the fact that they can take three different forms.

First, open compound nouns (or spaced compound nouns) are those that are written as two separate words, such as washing machine, swimming pool, and water bottle.

Second, there are hyphenated compound nouns, as in check-in, hanger-on, and mother-in-law.

Third, there are closed compound nouns (or solid compound nouns)—those that are written as one word, such as rainfall, drawback, and toothpaste.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any rules that tell us which of the three forms is acceptable for a particular compound noun. Some compound nouns are commonly written in two forms, as in website / web site or checkout / check-out, while others, such as bus stop, are strictly used in one form. Where more than one is possible, the form that is more commonly used may depend on the variety of English (American English vs. British English, for example), the style guide of a publication, or the personal preference of the writer.

If you’re not sure which of the three forms to use, it’s important to check a good, up-to-date dictionary. If you are relying on the spellchecker in a word processor, remember that this has its limits. For example, spellcheck is good for checking whether a particular compound noun can be written as one word (closed); however, if we write a compound noun as two words (open) and it should be written as one word (closed), or if we write it with a hyphen and it should be written without a hyphen, spellcheck will not catch the mistakes.

Finally, remember that, no matter which way the compound noun is written, it always functions grammatically as a single unit.

Pluralizing compound nouns

We usually pluralize a compound noun by adding an “-s” or “-es” to the main word, or the defining word, of the compound noun. This is usually the second word, but not always. For example:

Singular	Plural
bedroom	bedrooms
football	footballs
water bottle	water bottles
full moon	full moons

BUT

Singular	Plural
secretary general	secretaries general
mother-in-law	mothers-in-law
passerby / passer-by	passersby / passers-by

When it’s not obvious which of the words is the defining word, we pluralize the end of it. For example:

Singular	Plural
haircut	haircuts
check-in	check-ins
checkout / check-out	checkouts / check-outs
upturn	upturns

Pronouncing compound nouns

In general, compound nouns are pronounced with the emphasis on the first part of the word. For example:

• BEDroom
• BLACKbird
• CHECK-in
• GREENhouse
• MAKEup
• WATER bottle

Pronouncing compound nouns in this way helps us distinguish words that form a compound noun like blackbird and greenhouse from other instances when the same words would appear together, as in: “Look at that beautiful black bird,” or “I like that green house on the corner.”

Although we normally stress the first word in a compound noun, there are certain exceptions to this pattern. For example, we disregard this rule when pronouncing compound nouns that include titles or proper nouns, as in Secretary GENeral and Mount RUSHmore.

If in doubt, you can use a good dictionary to determine which syllable should be emphasized.