Useful Words for Writing and Reading

INCREASE (v.) (TO INCREASE)

We need to increase production to meet demand.

Synonyms and examples

grow	The number of people living alone grows each year.
rise	Prices rose by 10 per cent.
go up	House prices keep going up.
escalate	Crime in the city has escalated in recent weeks.
rocket	Building costs have rocketed by 70%.
soar	House prices have soared this year.
expand	We’re hoping to expand our range of products.
extend	The company extended its sales territory this year.
maximize	We need to maximize profits.

INCREASE (n.) (AN INCREASE)

There has been a sharp increase in municipal taxes this year.

Synonyms and examples

rise	Last month saw a rise in the rate of inflation.
gain	We are not seeing the gains in productivity that we expected.
boost	We are hoping for a boost in sales this year.
jump	The jump in prices was generally expected.
surge	There has been a surge in demand for avocados.
spike	The city has seen a spike in drug deaths recently.
growth	We are anticipating modest sales growth.
upturn	Some sectors of the economy have seen a sharp upturn.
upswing	Natural gas production is on the upswing.

DECREASE (v.) (TO BECOME SMALLER OR LESS)

The tests show that the tumour has decreased in size since we started treatment.

Synonyms and examples

lessen	A healthy diet lessens your risk for cardiovascular disease.
lower	They’ve just lowered the age at which you can join.
reduce	They’ve just reduced the price.
bring down	They are bringing down their prices.
drop	Stock prices dropped today after the company’s announcement.
fall	Unemployment has fallen to six percent in the last year.
go down	Prices always go down in January.
come down	Has her fever come down at all?
plummet	Temperatures last night plummeted.
plunge	Temperatures last night plunged below zero.
crash	After bad news from the Federal Reserve, the markets crashed.
dwindle	The number of students in the school has dwindled to around 200.
decline	The number of members has declined by 25 per cent over the last 30 years.
shrink	Forests have shrunk to almost half the size they were 20 years ago.
contract	As the metal cools, it contracts.

DECREASE (n.) (THE FACT OF GETTING SMALLER OR BECOMING LESS)

There has been a steady decrease in the number of visitors.

Synonyms and examples

fall	A fall in the price of petrol is unlikely.
drop	We are expecting a sharp drop in temperatures overnight.
decline	A decline in profits is to be expected in this economic climate.
nosedive	Consumer confidence has taken a nosedive.
reduction	The company announced a 10 per cent wage reduction in response to poor earnings.
downturn	The economic downturn is likely to continue.
downswing	Banks took action to counter the downswing in manufacturing.

BIG (adj.) (GREATER THAN THE AVERAGE SIZE OR AMOUNT)

They live in a big house in the country.

Synonyms and examples

large	A large number of people were crowded into the room.
great	The party was a great success.
enormous	They bought an enormous house in the suburbs.
huge	The explosion left a huge crater.
massive	The building work has caused massive disruption.
immense	The family had amassed immense wealth.
vast	There are vast distances between the stars.
gigantic	There’s a gigantic spider in the bathroom.
gargantuan	He has a gargantuan appetite.
mammoth	They have a mammoth task ahead of them.
colossal	Colossal sums have been wasted on this project.
sizeable	You should be prepared to make a sizeable investment.
substantial	She is known to have made substantial donations to charity.
hefty	The speeding motorist was given a hefty fine.
considerable	Considerable criticism has been levelled at her leadership.
respectable	The party picked up a respectable number of ethnic-minority votes.
generous	The novel is served up with a generous measure of wit.
extensive	I have an extensive collection of 20th-century watercolours.
astronomical	Professional footballers are paid astronomical sums.
bulky	It’s a large car with plenty of room for bulky luggage.

SMALL (adj.) (NOT GREAT IN SIZE, AMOUNT, ETC.)

I live in a small town.

Synonyms and examples

little	She’s a good little girl.
a little	I just want a little ice cream.
a little (bit)	I was a little bit upset that she ate the last piece of cake.
tiny	His body was covered in tiny red spots.
minute	Minute traces of explosives were found on his clothes.
minuscule	The cost of vaccination is minuscule compared to the cost of treatment.
microscopic	Microscopic particles can escape into the air.
infinitesimal (formal)	Homeopathy uses infinitesimal doses of natural substances to stimulate a person’s immune system.
dwarf	She planted a dwarf cherry tree in the garden.
miniature	It’s a miniature bath for the doll’s house.
dainty	She had dainty feet.
petite	Emma was petite and shy.
teeny (informal)	Weren’t you even a teeny bit afraid?
slight	There was a slight difference in colour.

GOOD (adj.) (GIVING PLEASURE AND HOLDING YOUR ATTENTION)

It’s a good film overall.

Synonyms and examples

enjoyable	We had an enjoyable time with Bob and Helen.
pleasant	The weather is pleasant but not too hot.
nice	Have a nice day!
lovely	This is lovely weather we’re having, isn’t it?
delightful	We had such a delightful time – let’s do this again soon!
agreeable	We spent quite an agreeable day together.
pleasing	The flower arrangement is quite pleasing.

GOOD (adj.) (OF HIGH QUALITY)

Buy a really good foundation and cultivate a healthy glow.

Synonyms and examples

quality	We are working hard to produce a quality product.
fine	They have a well-stocked cellar full of fine wines.
superior	The food and service here are superior to any other restaurant in the city.
prime	Some shoppers will pay extra for prime cuts of beef, pork, and lamb.
premium	The company has established itself as a premium online financial brand.

BAD (adj.) (OF BAD QUALITY)

The food wasn’t as bad as I’d expected.

Synonyms and examples

poor	Their efforts produced extremely poor results.
mediocre	The striker has been dropped after a mediocre performance.
inferior	The copies are of inferior quality.
cheap	The whole place reeked of cheap perfume.

BAD (adj.) (BAD WEATHER, CONDITIONS, SITUATIONS, ETC.)

If the weather is bad, we’ll have to find something else to do.

Synonyms and examples

poor	She’s 87 and in poor health.
grim	She was quickly brought back to the grim reality of her life.
awful	The smell from the bins was awful.
terrible	I’ve had a really terrible day.
horrible	it was a really horrible place to be.
dreadful	The forecast for tomorrow is dreadful.
fearful	We suddenly heard a fearful bang.
horrendous	The traffic getting here was horrendous.
atrocious	Conditions on the mountain are absolutely atrocious.
horrific	The bus was involved in a horrific accident.
abysmal	The government has an abysmal record on healthcare.
appalling	We are working to end the appalling suffering of animals.

BEAUTIFUL (adj.) (A BEAUTIFUL PERSON, PAINTING, SIGHT, ETC.)

I’ve never seen a more beautiful view in my life.

Synonyms and examples

attractive	Her husband is really attractive.
good-looking	I think they’re very good-looking.
handsome	He’s so handsome.
pretty	Your daughter is very pretty.
gorgeous	You look gorgeous in that dress!
stunning	He is stunning.
striking	She is a tall, striking woman with a mane of curly black hair.
breathtaking	The view from the window is breathtaking.
lovely (mainly UK)	The park is lovely this time of year.
exquisite	They make exquisite lace.

CLEAR (adj.) (EASY TO SEE, RECOGNIZE, OR UNDERSTAND)

The water in the bay was so clear I could see the bottom.

obvious	It’s obvious that she’s upset.
apparent	Her joy was apparent to everyone.
plain	His disappointment was plain to see.
evident	The company president was impressed by her evident ambition.
manifest(formal)	His manifest lack of interest has provoked severe criticism.
marked	There has been a marked improvement in his behaviour.
conspicuous	I felt very conspicuous in a suit when everyone else was in jeans.
blatant	It was a blatant attempt to gain publicity.
glaring	They made some glaring errors.

EXCELLENT (adj.) (EXTREMELY PLEASANT, ENJOYABLE, OR LIKABLE)

The food was excellent, thank you.

wonderful	Have a wonderful trip!
terrific	That’s such terrific news, congratulations!
fabulous	I love her dress, it’s fabulous.
great (informal)	The film was great.
fantastic (informal)	What a fantastic party.
amazing (informal)	The concert was just amazing. I can’t even describe how good it was.
awesome (informal)	“We won the championship!” “Oh, awesome!”
brilliant (UK informal)	Oh, brilliant – we’ll meet up when you’re in town.
tremendous	The screenplay is tremendous and should win an Academy Award.
sublime	The sunrise this morning was simply sublime.
splendid (formal)	I thought the play was splendid.
magnificent	The views in the Alps are magnificent.
cool (informal)	His new bike is so cool.
wicked (informal)	He’s got a wicked gaming system.

FAMOUS (adj.) (KNOWN AND RECOGNIZED BY MANY PEOPLE)

She went from poor and anonymous to rich and famous.

renowned	The area is renowned for its beauty.
celebrated	He’s a celebrated writer of children’s stories.
legendary	He once met the legendary singer, Eartha Kitt.
prominent	He’s a prominent member of the Saudi royal family.
eminent	We studied Darwin and other eminent scientists.
infamous	The Boston Strangler was one of the world’s most infamous serial killers.
notorious	The prison housed many notorious criminals.

CLEVER (adj.) (INTELLIGENT)

I’m the cleverest kid in the class.

intelligent	He seems like a very intelligent young man.
smart (mainly US)	She’s incredibly smart and a great writer.
bright	Jacob was a very bright boy.
sharp (mainly approving)	How can we stay mentally sharp as we age?
brilliant	His father was a brilliant scholar.
gifted	She is a gifted mathematician.
talented	It is a treat to see such talented youngsters perform.
intellectual	This course examines the most influential intellectual thinkers of modern times.
cerebral (formal)	He is a cerebral man who seems ill-suited to the role of political hero.
wise (approving)	He sought help from a wise old teacher.
brainy (informal)	The film was about a teenage heartthrob who fell for the awkward brainy girl in school.
knowledgeable	Declan is very knowledgeable about insects.
astute	His father had a reputation as an astute businessman.

STUPID (adj.) (STUPID)

Some people are too stupid to realise what’s bad for them.

foolish	She was really foolish to quit her job like that.
silly	It was silly of you to go out in the sun without a hat.
crazy	You’d be absolutely crazy to marry that man.
dumb (mainly US informal)	She was terrified of asking dumb questions.
unintelligent	They are not unintelligent, just ill-informed.
absurd	What an absurd thing to say!
ridiculous	Do I look ridiculous in this hat?
ludicrous	I think giving young children such expensive jewellery is a ludicrous idea.
idiotic	What are you doing with that idiotic jerk?
out of your mind	You must be out of your mind spending so much money on a car.
ignorant	Some ignorant person has parked across our drive.

DIFFERENT (adj.) (DIFFERENT)

I like her haircut – it’s different!

dissimilar	The twins may look alike, but they are quite dissimilar when it comes to personality.
diverse	London is a culturally diverse city.
unusual	Carina – that’s quite an unusual name.
alternative	The hotel’s being renovated, so we’re looking for an alternative venue.
distinct	The word has three distinct meanings.
distinctive	She’s got really distinctive handwriting.
unlike	Dan’s actually quite nice, unlike his father.

LOVE (v.) (TO GET PLEASURE FROM SOMETHING / TO LIKE SOMEONE OR SOMETHING)

After working in the garden, I love a good soak in the tub.

enjoy	Enjoy your meal!
like	I like hiking a lot.
relish (formal)	Jonathan always relishes a challenge.
adore	I adore a good book.
be fond of	She’s very fond of Chinese food.

HATE (v.) (TO HATE SOMEONE OR SOMETHING)

I hate camping.

detest	I detest any kind of cruelty.
loathe	“Do you like cabbage?” “No, I loathe it.”
despise	She despised him for the way he treated her.
can’t stand	I can’t stand the sight of blood.

IMPORTANT (adj.) (HAVING GREAT EFFECT OR INFLUENCE)

It was one of the most important legal cases of the century.

big	This is a big match tonight – if we lose, we won’t be in the playoffs.
major	This is a major decision so we’d better get it right.
significant	Did he make any significant changes to my suggestions?
eminent	Her father was an eminent historian.
prominent	She was a prominent journalist who took on political corruption.
great	Many thought he was a great man.

SPECIAL (adj.) (GOOD OR IMPORTANT BECAUSE OF UNUSUAL QUALITIES)

Are you doing anything special for your birthday?

exceptional	Their standard of acting was very high but there was one exceptional performance.
outstanding	He accepted an award for outstanding achievement in baseball.
extraordinary	Her capacity to remember things is extraordinary.
deluxe	The salesman tried to sell us the deluxe model.
superior	We were upgraded to one of the hotel’s superior suites.
original	The design is refreshingly original.

ORDINARY (adj.) (NORMAL)

The magazine has stories about ordinary people rather than celebrities.

normal	Temperatures are well above normal today.
usual	I went to bed at my usual time.
standard	It’s standard practice for surgeons to wear gloves.
natural	It’s completely natural to feel anxious on your first day at a new school.
typical	He was a typical teenager – arguing with his parents and staying out late.

NEW (adj.) (RECENTLY APPEARED, ARRIVED, OR DEVELOPED)

I bought a new suit for my interview.

novel	That’s a novel way of approaching the problem.
innovative	The project uses innovative ideas for recycling.
fresh (approving)	We need some fresh thinking on how to attract younger voters.
original	She had some original ideas.

OLD (adj.) (COMING FROM A TIME IN THE PAST)

Be careful – that clock is very old.

former	He’s a former coworker of mine.
ancient	We need to protect ancient monuments.
antique	The shop sells antique furniture.
vintage	She shops for vintage clothes on weekends.

IDEA (n.) (A SUGGESTION)

Rebecca has a few ideas about how we could improve things.

suggestion	May I make a suggestion? Keep your receipts for tax reimbursement.
proposal	The proposal for a new stadium has been rejected.
proposition	He wrote to me with a very interesting business proposition.
thought	I’ve had a thought about what we might do this summer.
motion	There is a motion before the assembly to adjourn the meeting.
nomination	We will be accepting nominations for the award until 1 July.

ACHIEVE (v.) (TO ACHIEVE SOMETHING)

After years of rejection, she finally achieved success on the big screen.

fulfil (mainly UK)	I fulfilled my dreams of becoming a marine biologist.
realise	There was nothing to prevent her from realising her ambitions.
come true	I worked so hard to be a doctor, and now my dream has come true.
accomplish	These goals will be extremely hard to accomplish.
attain (formal)	After years of struggle, the nation attained independence.
reach	He has reached the top of his profession.

MAKE (v.) (TO BUILD SOMETHING)

The company makes high-end heart-rate monitors.

build	The house was built in the 1950s.
construct	The company wants to construct a 175-mile pipeline.
put something up	Putting up a wall will not solve the problem.
assemble	He has a job assembling furniture in a warehouse.
put together	Without the instruction sheet, I’ve got no idea how to put all these parts together.
fabricate (especially US)	In the 1970s, semiconductors were fabricated on 75mm diameter silicon wafers
manufacture	The factory manufactures electrical components.
produce	Most people want to know how their goods were produced.

CHANGE (v.) (TO MAKE DIFFERENT)

She’ll always be like that – you can’t change her.

alter	We’ve had to alter our plans.
vary	Try to vary the children’s diet a little.
convert	We’re going to convert the spare bedroom into an office.
turn into	There are plans to turn his latest book into a film.
transform	The riverside area has been transformed into a shopping and sports complex.
modify	The engine was modified to improve its performance.
switch	We’ve switched over to low-fat milk.
adapt	The novel was adapted into a screenplay by the author.
adjust	You can adjust the height of the seat if the chair is uncomfortable.
evolve	The modern cat evolved from sabre-toothed tigers.

LONG (adj.) (CONTINUING FOR A LARGE AMOUNT OF TIME)

He’s been gone a long time.

prolonged	She returned to work after a prolonged illness.
lengthy	Airline passengers may face lengthy delays during holiday travel.
sustained	We continue to see sustained economic growth.
extended	Standing for extended periods of time can be bad for your back.
protracted	Management was locked in protracted negotiations with the unions.
drawn-out	It is likely to be a drawn-out discussion.

SHORT (adj.) (CONTINUING FOR LESS TIME THAN USUAL)

He received a short jail sentence.

quick	I need to make a quick phone call – I’ll be right back.
brief	We had a brief chat this morning.
momentary	It was just a momentary lapse in judgment – I won’t do it again.
transient (formal)	The book explores the transient nature of fame.
transitory (formal)	Our existence in this world is transitory.
fleeting	We had a fleeting glimpse of the sea as we drove down the motorway.
ephemeral	Their alliance, however ephemeral, was important to stabilise the region.

HAPPY (adj.) (FEELING OR SHOWING PLEASURE)

I’m much happier in my new job.

cheerful	She’s always very cheerful.
in a good mood	You’re in a good mood this morning!
pleased	He was pleased that she had come back.
glad	I was so glad to see her.
delighted	They are delighted with their new car.
ecstatic	The new president was greeted by an ecstatic crowd.
elated	We were elated at the news.
contented	She’s a very contented little baby.

SAD (adj.) (FEELING SAD)

She’s been sad ever since her cat died.

unhappy	She’d had a very unhappy childhood.
miserable	I just woke up feeling miserable.
upset	They’d had an argument and he was still upset about it.
heartbroken	His girlfriend dumped him, and he’s been heartbroken ever since.
heartsick (literary)	She was heartsick when the regiment went away.
devastated	He was devastated when he lost his house.
distraught	She was distraught over the article and feared losing her job.
depressed	It makes her depressed to think about the injury.
down	I’ve been feeling a little down recently.
low	He was very low for months after he lost his job.

ANGRY (adj.) (ANGRY)

It does no good to get angry at him – it won’t change the situation at all.

annoyed	He was annoyed with her for being late.
irritated	I was irritated that he didn’t thank me.
frustrated	He was getting increasingly frustrated by the lack of progress.
furious	My boss was furious with me.
irate	Hundreds of irate passengers have complained to the airline.
incensed	Incensed fans stormed into the team’s training ground.
livid	She was absolutely livid that he didn’t tell her sooner.
apoplectic	She had never seen him so apoplectic.
incandescent	By the time I got back to my car, I was incandescent with rage.
fuming	Marcus was still fuming over the way he had been manoeuvred off the trip.
heated	Things got rather heated between me and my neighbour.
acrimonious (formal)	He was involved in an acrimonious dispute with his neighbour.

BEGIN (v.) (TO START TO DO SOMETHING)

I’ll begin working on the project this weekend.

start	Have you started your homework yet?
commence (formal)	We commenced listening to Uncle Jim’s long story, knowing we were in for it now.
embark on/upon something (formal)	That fateful morning, she embarked upon the longest solo climb in history.
enter on/upon something (formal)	With his diagnosis, we entered upon the most difficult time of our lives.
open	I’d like to open the meeting by thanking our hosts.
dive in/dive into something	He just dives into assembling the furniture without taking a single look at the instructions first.
set about something	She set about trying to change her password on her work computer.
get on with something	I’d love to chat, but I really should be getting on with this paperwork.
start/set/get the ball rolling	Well, since it’s my meeting, I’ll get the ball rolling by asking if anyone has anything they’d like to bring up before we get into the agenda.
put/set something in motion	After the accident on the factory floor, the committee put in motion a new safety protocol.

FINISH (v.) (TO FINISH SOMETHING)

Did you finish your homework?

end	What time does the concert end?
complete	Have you completed the questionnaire?
conclude	She concluded her speech by thanking everyone who had helped her.
wrap up (informal)	We need to wrap this up – I’m late to my next meeting.

BUSY (adj.) (NOT AVAILABLE)

I’m busy all morning – can we meet up in the afternoon?

tied up	I’ll be tied up in meetings until 3.00pm, but could meet after that.
unavailable	The CEO is currently unavailable – may I take a message?
engaged (formal)	I can’t come to tea – I’m engaged elsewhere.
have (got) something on (UK)	I’ll have to miss the party – I have something on that night.

HELP (v.) (TO HELP SOMEONE)

Can I help you get that?

aid (formal)	The project is designed to aid poorer countries.
assist (formal)	The army arrived to assist in the search.
collaborate	We collaborated on the project.
cooperate	Several countries are cooperating in the relief effort.
give someone a hand (informal)	Do you think you could give me a hand with these heavy boxes?
do someone a favour (UK informal)	Could you do me a favour and buy me some milk while you’re out?

OKAY (adj.) (GOOD ENOUGH BUT NOT EXCELLENT)

My holiday was okay, apart from the weather.

acceptable	Your essay was acceptable, but I think you could have done better.
reasonable	They have a reasonable chance of winning.
adequate	The law provides adequate compensation for robbery victims.
passable	I speak passable Spanish.
will do (mainly UK)	It’s not perfect, but it’ll do.
satisfactory	She turned out a satisfactory gateau.
fair	I was fair at football, but certainly not fabulous.
average	The food was just average, but the decor was amazing.
all right	The film was all right, I suppose, though it’s not going to win any awards (= the film was just good enough).
decent	The hours were good and the pay was decent.
tolerable	The conditions on these trains are barely tolerable.

CHEAP (adj.) (COSTING LESS MONEY THAN EXPECTED)

The meal was cheaper than I expected.

affordable	There’s very little affordable housing around here.
inexpensive	They sell inexpensive children’s clothes.
economical	I need a car that’s reliable and economical.
budget	We stayed in a budget hotel.

EXPENSIVE (adj.) (COSTING A LOT OF MONEY)

He thinks he’s special with his expensive suits and fancy shoes.

dear (mainly UK)	I find the veg too dear in that supermarket.
costly	They made several costly mistakes, including spending $60 million on shoddy machinery.
pricey (informal)	The restaurants in town are a bit pricey.
exclusive	They have an apartment in an exclusive part of town.
fancy (informal)	We stayed in a fancy hotel on the beach.
posh (informal)	He took me to a posh restaurant.
exorbitant	Customers are charged exorbitant prices for drinks.
extortionate (disapproving)	Fifty pounds? That’s extortionate!
astronomical (informal)	Property prices are astronomical in London.
stiff	The price is a bit stiff, but it’s worth the money.
steep	Isn’t £5 for a cup of coffee a little steep?
unaffordable	Rents in the city centre are unaffordable.
punitive	The banks were charging punitive rates of interest.
overpriced	The restaurant is good, but overpriced, I think.

STRONG (adj.) (HAVING A LOT OF PHYSICAL OR MENTAL STRENGTH)

He is a big, strong man.

powerful	He is the most powerful fighter I have seen in a boxing ring.
muscular	He is tall with a muscular body.
tough	The rebels proved to be a tough opponent.
resilient	Kids are very resilient when they have to be.
mighty (literary)	3,000 years ago a mighty warrior set out to conquer the world.

STRONG (adj.) (FELT OR EXPERIENCED WITH A LOT OF FORCE)

I felt a strong urge to hug him.

powerful	Anger is one of the most powerful human emotions.
intense	She learned that even intense emotional pain passes.
fierce	The people have a fierce pride in their country.
deep	He suffered from a deep feeling of inadequacy.
profound	I have a profound respect for their culture.
passionate	She shares my passionate belief that racism is vile.
ardent	His ardent desire was to get more people interested in classical music.
uncontrollable	I had an uncontrollable urge to burst out laughing.
overwhelming	She is driven by an overwhelming desire to succeed.
overpowering	I have an overpowering urge to pack my bags and go exploring.
irresistible	I had an irresistible impulse to buy a notebook and start writing.

STRONG (adj.) (NOT BREAKING EASILY)

You will need a strong cardboard box to carry all those books.

tough	Ceramic tiles are tougher than plastic shower screens.
sturdy	You’ll need sturdy boots for this weather.
solid	You will need to build a good solid base for your shed.
hard-wearing	Cotton canvas is the most hard-wearing fabric.
durable	Stainless steel pans are very durable.
robust	The camera is robust enough to be used by younger children.
indestructible	Titanium is virtually indestructible.
hardy	These plants are extremely hardy will grow almost anywhere.

WEAK (adj.) (EASILY BROKEN)

The floors were uneven and too weak to support the heavy equipment.

breakable	Put breakable ornaments on a high shelf when young children come to visit.
fragile	Small mammal bones are extremely fragile.
delicate	The plant has delicate white flowers.
brittle	The ground was a carpet of dried leaves and brittle twigs.

WEAK (adj.) (NOT PHYSICALLY STRONG)

She was too tired and weak to finish the race.

feeble	Many of the pensioners were so feeble they had to be stretchered onto the ship.
vulnerable	The disease most often affects vulnerable people such as children and the elderly.
fragile	They’d all had a few beers the night before and were feeling a bit fragile.
puny	He was puny as a child.
frail	A frail, grey-haired lady walked slowly down the street.
ailing	He shared an apartment with his ailing mother.
doddery (mainly UK informal)	Judges are often portrayed as doddery old men.
sickly	He was a sickly child.
defenceless (UK)	How could anyone hurt a small, defenceless child?

WEAK (adj.) (BAD AT SOMETHING)

These students are weak in some aspects of language use.

bad at	I was overweight and bad at sport.
hopeless	I’m completely hopeless in the kitchen.
useless (mainly UK informal)	He’s useless at maths.
rubbish (UK informal)	She’s a pretty rubbish singer, really.
incompetent	The rules have made it hard to remove incompetent teachers.
inept	He is a woefully inept communicator.
unskilled	There is a shortage of both skilled and unskilled workers.
amateurish (disapproving)	Her first efforts at writing were amateurish to say the least.

THE SAME (adj.) (STAYING THE SAME / EXACTLY LIKE EACH OTHER)

You look exactly the same as you did ten years ago! / I have the same dress as her.

constant	Check to make sure your oven maintains a constant temperature.
unchangeable	The company’s position on the matter is absolute and unchangeable.
fixed	Interest rates are fixed at 4 per cent.
steady	Unemployment rates are holding steady.
firm	They are firm in their opposition to the tax reform.
consistent	We’ve seen a consistent improvement in morale since the pay increases.
immutable (formal)	This is an immutable law of physics.
identical	The employees all wore identical blue shirts.
indistinguishable	The counterfeit certificate was so good it was indistinguishable from the real thing.
equal	Four groups of ten is equal to two groups of twenty.

(Reference: Cambridge Dictionary)