Adjective Preposition Combinations

REF	ADJECTIVE	NOTE	MEANING	EXAMPLE
ADJECTIVE + ABOUT
AP09	anxious about sth	WORRIED	feeling worried or nervous	We are anxious about our daughter's health.
AP05	apprehensive about sth	ANXIOUS	viewing the future with anxiety	He was very anxious and apprehensive about going into work.
AP09	certain about sth	CORRECT	having no doubts	She is quite certain about her attacker's identity.
AP12	crazy about/over sb/sth	MAD ABOUT	like someone or something very much	Mike was crazy about football when he was young.
AP09	curious about sth	INTERESTED	having a desire to learn about sth	The dog was naturally curious about its new surroundings.
AP15	doubtful about sth	DUBIOUS	uncertain or unsure about something	They were doubtful about the practicability of the plan.
AP02	diffident about sth	SHY	lacking confidence in one's own ability	You shouldn't be so diffident about your achievements.
AP04	dubious about sth	DOUBTFUL	feeling doubt about something	She was dubious about her chances for success.
AP15	enthusiastic about sb/sth	EAGER	filled with enthusiasm	He had never been enthusiastic about his job as a car mechanic.
AP02	fussy about sth	CAREFUL	too careful about unimportant details	My sister is very fussy about punctuation.
AP02	ignorant about sth	UNEDUCATED	not having much knowledge	Derek is ignorant about modern technology.
AP02	knowledgeable about sth	CONVERSANT	knowing a lot	I am not very knowledgeable about classical music.
AP03	lukewarm about sb/sth	REACTION	not enthusiastic or interested	Investors are lukewarm about his proposed alternative.
AP06	mistaken about sb/sth	WRONG	wrong in your opinion or judgement	Sadly he was mistaken about how much it would cost.
AP04	modest about sth	HUMBLE	not showing great or excessive pride	George is very modest about his achievements.
AP11	passionate about sth	EMOTIONAL	having very strong feelings	Brian has always been passionate about classical music.
AP14	realistic about sth	PRAGMATIC	accepting things as they are in fact	My friends were quite realistic about my problems.
AP02	sentimental about sth	FEELING	showing feelings like sympathy, love	He likes Spain, but he goes too far in getting sentimental about it.
AP14	serious about sb/sth	NOT JOKING	not joking or meant as a joke	She's really serious about Adam and wants to get engaged.
AP09	sorry about sb/sth	FEELING SAD	feeling sad and showing sympathy	Greg, I'm so sorry about yesterday - it was all my fault.
AP02	specific about sth	PRECISE	detailed and exact	Can you be more specific about your plans?
AP12	upset about/at/over sth	WORRY	unhappy or disappointed	A lot of people were upset about the new tax.
ADJECTIVE + AGAINST
AP05	prejudiced against sb/sth	BIASED	having a feeling of like or dislike for sb	She was prejudiced against the film because of its title.
ADJECTIVE + AT
AP06	aghast at sth	HORRIFIED	shocked and upset	Critics were aghast at how awful the film was.
AP09	amused at/by sth	ENTERTAINED	thinking that sb/sth is funny	The audience was amused by/at her silly jokes.
AP09	astonished at/by sb/sth	AMAZED	very surprised	We were astonished at the changes in the town's appearance.
AP13	brilliant at sth	INTELLIGENT	extremely clever or impressive	Reputedly, she is brilliant at mathematics.
AP04	competent at sth	QUALIFIED	able to do something well	All in all Maria is highly competent at her job.
AP04	furious at sb/sth	ANGRY	extremely angry	He was absolutely furious at having been deceived.
AP09	good at sth	SUCCESSFUL	able to do something well	She's not very good at expressing her feelings.
AP10	hopeless at sth	TERRIBLE	with no ability or skill	They were hopeless at playing basketball.
AP12	skilful at sth	ACCOMPLISHED	good at doing something	He was so skilful at encouraging and motivating me.
AP07	startled at sth	SCARED	surprised and slightly frightened	I was startled by a sudden loud banging on my car window.
AP09	surprised at/by sb/sth	ASTONISHED	feeling or showing surprise	I'm surprised at her, behaving like that in front of the children.
ADJECTIVE + BY
AP03	abashed by sth	EMBARRASSED	embarrassed and ashamed	He was abashed by the attitude of that stranger.
AP05	baffled by sth	CONFUSED	extremely confused or puzzled	He was baffled by many of the scientific terms used in the article.
AP07	beloved by/of sb	DEAR	dearly loved	Benny Hill was beloved by millions of fans.
AP04	elated by/at sth	EXCITED	very happy and excited	Frank was elated by the birth of his second son.
AP06	divisible by sth	DIVIDABLE	that can be divided	12 is divisible by 2, 3, 4 and 6, but not by 5.
AP05	inhabited by sb/sth	OCCUPIED	with people or animals living there	This building is now inhabited by wild animals.
AP04	stunned by sth	SHOCKED	too surprised or shocked to speak	The community were stunned by the news of his death.
ADJECTIVE + FOR
AP06	accountable for sth	RESPONSIBLE	required to be responsible for sth	Everyone is accountable for his or her own behaviour.
AP10	anxious for sth	EAGER	eager to do something	There are plenty of graduates anxious for work.
AP01	bound for	DIRECTION	on the way to, heading for	They were bound for the other side of the river to work.
AP01	due for sth	EXPECTED	required or expected to happen	Helen is due for a promotion soon.
AP11	eager for sth	EXCITED	feeling a strong desire for sth	All those factors suggest investors are eager for a turnaround.
AP03	eligible for sth	ENTITLED	able to do or receive something	You're eligible for health insurance through your employer.
AP08	famous for sth	WELL KNOWN	known about by many people	She became internationally famous for her books.
AP04	favourable for sb/sth	ADVANTAGEOUS	giving you an advantage	The weather conditions were favourable for a barbecue outside.
AP01	hungry for sth	WANTING	having a strong desire for sth	You've got to be desperate and hungry for success.
AP04	inappropriate for sb/sth	UNSUITABLE	not suitable in a particular situation	Her outfit is deemed inappropriate for a school formal event.
AP07	indispensable for sth	ESSENTIAL	absolutely necessary	A sincere smile is indispensable for success in sales.
AP08	late for sth	BEHIND TIME	after the usual or proper time	I have a problem with my car, so I will be late for work.
AP01	liable for sth	RESPONSIBLE	responsible by law; legally answerable	The company is liable for only £500,000 of the award.
AP05	notable for sth	STRIKING	deserving to be noticed	The town is notable for its slanting half-timbered houses.
AP01	notorious for sth	INFAMOUS	well known for being bad	The player is notorious for his violent outbursts.
AP08	responsible for sb/sth	DUTY	have control and authority over sth	The committee is responsible for organising the contest.
AP08	suitable for sb/sth	ACCEPTABLE	acceptable or right for sb or sth	This film is not suitable for children under the age of seven.
ADJECTIVE + FROM
AP08	absent from sth	NOT PRESENT	not present in something	Martin has been absent from work for eleven days now.
AP05	apparent from sth	OBVIOUS	easy to see or understand	It was apparent from his face that he was really tired.
AP08	different from/to sb/sth	NOT THE SAME	not like sb/sth else	Their house is different from the others on this street.
AP03	distinct from sth	DIFFERENT	clearly different or of a different kind	The two cars are quite distinct from one another.
AP01	free from sth	WITHOUT	not affected by sth unpleasant	Every child deserves to live free from fear and harm.
AP04	independent from sth	NOT RULED	free from outside control	British Somaliland became independent from the UK in 1960.
AP01	inseparable from sth	THINGS	not able to be separated	They firmly believe liberty is inseparable from social justice.
AP06	isolated from sth/sb	FAR AWAY	separate from others	The town is a bit isolated from the rest of the country.
AP08	safe from sb/sth	PROTECTED	protected from any danger, harm	The birds' nests are high up, safe from predators.
AP01	secure from sth	SAFE	protected from danger or harm	A safe is provided to keep your valuables secure from thieves.
AP08	separate from sb/sth	NOT JOINED	existing or happening independently	He tries to keep his private life separate from his work.
AP01	visible from sth	CAN BE SEEN	able to be seen	A supernova explosion will eventually be visible from Earth.
ADJECTIVE + IN
AP05	absorbed in sb/sth	INTERESTED IN	very interested in sth	Paul seemed totally absorbed in his book.
AP08	accurate in sth	EXACT	free from mistakes or errors	Our accountant was very accurate in his calculations.
AP06	diligent in sth	INDUSTRIOUS	working hard with care and effort	From her youth she was diligent in her studies.
AP02	engrossed in sth	ABSORBED	giving all your attention to sth	She was completely engrossed in the book she was reading.
AP08	experienced in sth	SKILLED	possessing skills or knowledge	Mark is highly experienced in software development.
AP02	fluent in sth	LANGUAGE	able to speak, read or write a language	He studied four languages but is fluent in only one of them.
AP02	implicit in sth	NOT DIRECT	suggested but not directly expressed	These assumptions are implicit in her writing.
AP02	inherent in sb/sth	INBUILT	existing as an essential characteristic	Helen believes that goodness is inherent in all people.
AP04	influential in sth	POWERFUL	having a lot of influence	Stephen was influential in shaping macro-economic policy.
AP08	interested in sb/sth	INVOLVED	having the attention engaged	My sister is interested in archeology and ancient history.
AP03	lacking in sth	QUALITY	not have a quality	He felt nervous, increasingly lacking in confidence about himself.
AP02	negligent in sth	ATTENTION	failing to take proper care over sth	He was negligent in not reporting the accident to the police.
AP12	prompt in sth	IMMEDIATE	done without delay	The mechanic is always reliable and prompt in his duties.
AP05	resulting in sth	LEADING TO	causing, leading to	The incidence of home fires resulting in death has risen sharply.
AP08	successful in/at sth	RESULTS	achieving the results hoped for	She has always been highly successful in her work.
AP07	versed in sth	EXPERT	having a lot of knowledge about sth	He didn't seem to be very well versed in the subject.
ADJECTIVE + OF
AP09	ashamed of sb/sth	GUILTY	feeling shame or guilt	She was deeply ashamed of her behaviour at the company party.
AP09	aware of sth	CONSCIOUS	knowing or realising something	Smokers are well aware of the dangers to their own health.
AP07	bereft of sth	NOT HAVING	having lost something	They appear to be completely bereft of new ideas.
AP10	capable of sth	ABLE	having the ability for doing sth	Many mobile phones are capable of connecting to the Internet.
AP03	characteristic of sb/sth	TYPICAL	typical of a person or thing	The rapid weight loss was characteristic of his disease.
AP12	conscious of sth	AWARE	noticing or aware of something	She was not conscious of his presence in the room.
AP07	contemptuous of sb/sth	SCORNFUL	showing deep hatred or disapproval	Maria was contemptuous of everything we did.
AP11	critical of sb/sth	NOT PLEASED	expressing criticism or disapproval	Jim's father was highly critical of the school's approach.
AP01	devoid of sth	WITHOUT	entirely lacking or free from	The landscape seems to be completely devoid of life.
AP01	fearful of sth	AFRAID	frightened or worried about sth	She hesitated before calling him, fearful of what he might say.
AP09	fond of sb/sth	LIKING	like sb or sth very much	Over the years we've grown very fond of each other.
AP15	incapable of sth	UNABLE	not able to do something	I am certain that he is incapable of harming anyone.
AP04	inclusive of sth	COST	covering or including everything	The rent is inclusive of water, gas and electricity.
AP12	innocent of sth	NOT GUILTY	not guilty of a crime	George's lawyer says his client is innocent of any wrongdoing.
AP04	intolerant of sb/sth	BIASED	not willing to allow or accept sth	I think that the internet can be very intolerant of inconsistency.
AP01	irrespective of sth	REGARDLESS	not taking something into account	Everyone gets the same amount, irrespective of age.
AP14	jealous of sb/sth	ENVIOUS	unhappy as sb has sth that you want	He was very jealous of Tom's new bicycle.
AP06	observant of sth	NOTICING	quick to notice or perceive, alert	Ann was acutely observant of the poverty around her.
AP13	petrified of sth	FRIGHTENED	extremely frightened	Most people seem to be petrified of spiders.
AP04	protective of sb/sth	DEFENSIVE	used or intended for protection	She's very protective of her younger brother.
AP14	proud of sb/sth	SATISFIED	feeling pleased about sth	The school was proud of the excellent exam results.
AP01	reminiscent of sb/sth	EVOCATIVE	reminding you of something	The way she laughed was strongly reminiscent of her mother.
AP15	scared of sb/sth	FRIGHTENED	nervous or frightened	Though scared of heights, he has completed six parachute jumps.
AP09	silly of sb	FOOLISH	showing little thought or judgement	It was silly of you to take offence at his innocent remarks.
AP10	tolerant of sb/sth	ACCEPTING	able to accept what other people do	Luckily, my parents were tolerant of my choice of music.
AP13	typical of sb/sth	REPRESENTATIVE	normal for a person, thing, or group	It's typical of Jim to kick someone when they're down.
ADJECTIVE + (UP)ON
AP11	dependent (up)on sb/sth	NEEDING HELP	needing sb/sth in order to survive	She remained financially dependent on her parents.
AP02	hard on sb	PROBLEMS	make somebody unhappy	Their divorce has been particularly hard on the kids.
AP02	incumbent on sb	DUTY	necessary as part of sb's duties	It is incumbent on the Danish authorities to take swift action.
AP02	insistent on sth	DEMANDING	demanding that something happen	We were insistent on having a contract for the work.
AP03	intent on sth	DETERMINED	determined to do something	The government is intent on achieving greater efficiency.
AP13	keen on sb/sth	EAGER	very interested in sb/sth	I'm not desperately keen on watching basketball.
AP02	reliant on sb/sth	DEPENDENT	having or showing dependence	The charity is completely reliant on public donations
AP02	vague on sth	NOT THINKING	not able to think clearly	Her writings are rather vague on the subject of her marriage.
ADJECTIVE + TO/TOWARDS
AP11	accessible to sb	EASY TO GET TO	able to be reached or easily obtained	Medicine should not be kept where it is accessible to children.
AP10	accustomed to sth	USED TO	familiar with something	They have become more accustomed to their routines.
AP08	addicted to sth	HABITUAL	unable to stop doing sth as a habit	Smokers who inhale are likely to become addicted to nicotine.
AP03	adjacent to sth	NEXT TO	very near, next to, or touching	We lived in a house adjacent to the shopping centre.
AP07	analogous to/with sth	SIMILAR TO	similar in some way	Think of the process as analogous to riding a bike.
AP14	beneficial to sb/sth	ADVANTAGEOUS	helpful, useful, or good	We hope the new drug will prove beneficial to many people.
AP02	detrimental to sb/sth	HARMFUL	causing harm or damage	Smoking is known to be detrimental to people's health.
AP14	engaged to sb	MARRIAGE	having agreed to marry somebody	My son is engaged to Catherine, they will be married soon.
AP02	equivalent to sth	EQUAL	equal in force, amount, or value	We lived in a house adjacent to the shopping centre.
AP13	fed up with sth	BORED	bored or unhappy	His colleagues soon got fed up with his schoolboy humour.
AP04	foreign to sb/sth	NOT TYPICAL	strange and unfamiliar	That concept is completely foreign to David.
AP13	grateful to sb	THANKFUL	feeling or showing thanks	We are truly grateful to her for what she has done.
AP15	harmful to sb/sth	DAMAGING	causing damage or harm	These conditions can be harmful to animal life.
AP03	hostile to(wards) sb/sth	UNFRIENDLY	unfriendly and not liking sth	The girl feels hostile to(wards) her grandfather.
AP06	immune to sth	RESISTANT	not affected by sth	The dictatorship seems immune to economic pressures.
AP04	inclined to do sth	WILLING	wanting to do something	They didn't seem inclined to help us.
AP07	opposed to sth	DISAGREE WITH	disagreeing strongly with sth	He is often opposed to the governor on budget issues.
AP15	opposite to sb/sth	DIFFERENT	completely different	The effect was exactly the opposite to what she intended.
AP02	peculiar to sb/sth	BELONGING TO	common for a certain place, person	This type of building is peculiar to the north of the country.
AP08	polite to sb	NICE	having or showing good manners	I know you don't like her but you can at least be polite to her.
AP05	prior to sth	BEFORE	before a particular time or event	They have a long standing connection prior to the 2018 race.
AP06	repugnant to sb	REPULSIVE	extremely unpleasant	The idea of consuming crocodile meat was repugnant to us.
AP04	restricted to sb/sth	LIMITED	limited, especially by rules, laws	The tournament is restricted to players under the age of 18.
AP15	sensitive to sth	REACTING	reacting quickly	Some people's teeth are highly sensitive to cold.
AP08	similar to sb/sth	ALIKE	almost the same as sb or sth else	Your teaching style is similar to that of most other teachers.
AP02	superior to sb/sth	BETTER	better than average	This vehicle is technically superior to its competitors.
AP07	sympathetic to(wards) sth	SUPPORT	agreeing with or supporting	She was not sympathetic to(wards) their cause.
AP12	unique to sb/sth	DISTINCTIVE	connected with one particular place	This interesting and charming creature is unique to Australia.
AP08	used to sb/sth	FAMILIAR	familiar with sth or sb	The cat will need several days to become used to its new home.
AP02	vulnerable to sb/sth	SUSCEPTIBLE	capable of being wounded or hurt	Older adults are particularly vulnerable to the flu.
ADJECTIVE + WITH
AP01	acquainted with sb/sth	FAMILIAR WITH	being familiar with sth or sb	He was well acquainted with proper performance procedures.
AP09	angry with/at sb	EMOTIONAL	filled with anger	I was really angry with him for staying out so late.
AP09	bored with sb/sth	TIRED	feeling tired and impatient	After a while, he began to get bored with his job.
AP01	comparable with sb/sth	EQUAL	similar to sth else in size, quality	Her poetry is hardly comparable with Shakespeare's.
AP04	compatible with sth	IN HARMONY	able to exist together in harmony	This case is also compatible with the magnetic mounting.
AP01	concerned with sth	SUBJECT	be about something	This project is concerned with raising awareness about nature.
AP07	consonant with sth	AGREEING	in agreement with sth	The decision was consonant with the company's practice.
AP04	content with sth	SATISFIED	pleased and satisfied	I'd be content with a warm meal and a clean place to sleep.
AP05	conversant with sth	FAMILIAR WITH	knowing about something	We need somebody who is conversant with the new technology.
AP13	crowded with sb/sth	MAD ABOUT	full of something/people	The streets were crowded with protesters against the war.
AP10	dizzy with sth	FEELING	having a whirling, dazed sensation	Tom went hot and cold, dizzy with confusion.
AP01	extravagant with sth	MONEY	spending much more than is necessary	You mustn't be so extravagant with other people's money.
AP14	familiar with sb/sth	WELL-KNOWN	knowing something very well	She is not very familiar with American history.
AP03	fraught with sth	FULL OF	filled with something unpleasant	Their marriage has been fraught with problems.
AP09	friendly with sb	KIND	acting like a friend	We soon became friendly with the family next door.
AP15	generous with sth	CHARACTER	giving or willing to give freely	Adrian was generous with both his money and his time.
AP15	gentle with sb/sth	KIND	having a kind and quiet nature	We used to have a dog that was gentle with children.
AP06	inconsistent with sth	NOT AGREEING	not compatible or in keeping with	Her results are inconsistent with the data they produced.
AP01	intimate with sb	PERSONAL	having a very close friendship	John has become very intimate with an actress.
AP11	packed with sb/sth	FILL	completely full	The seven o'clock train is always packed with commuters.
AP10	patient with sb/sth	PERSEVERING	able to wait for a long time	Ann is endlessly kind and patient with children.
AP09	pleased with sb/sth	HAPPY	feeling happy about something	Susan was pleased with herself for having remembered his name.
AP11	popular with/among sb	LIKED	liked or enjoyed by many people	This TV channel is especially popular with children.
AP01	preoccupied with sth	ABSORBED	thinking about something a lot	She's far too preoccupied with her own problems to notice mine.
AP14	satisfied with sb/sth	PLEASED	contented, pleased	Are you satisfied with the performance of your new motorbike?

Adjective + Preposition List