| good |
better |
best |
Completely irregular |
This book is good, but that one is better. The last chapter was the best. |
| bad |
worse |
worst |
Completely irregular |
His handwriting is bad, yours is worse, but mine is the worst. |
| far |
farther / further |
farthest / furthest |
“Farther” = distance; “Further” = abstract/figurative |
We drove far, but she went farther. His idea went further in theory. That was the farthest we’d ever gone. |
| little (amount) |
less |
least |
For uncountable nouns (money, time) |
I have little interest in politics. She has less. He has the least of all. |
| much / many |
more |
most |
“Much” = uncountable; “Many” = countable |
She has much experience, but he has more. You have the most. / There are many errors, even more in this section, and the most in the last paragraph. |
| old |
elder |
eldest |
Used for family relations (elder brother), not general comparisons |
My elder sister lives abroad. She is the eldest of the three siblings. |
| late |
later |
latest |
Time-related; “latter” is used in comparisons between two |
I arrived late. She came later. This is the latest news. |
| near |
nearer |
nearest / next |
“Nearest” = spatial; “next” = sequence |
The gas station is near. That one is nearer. The nearest one is closed. The next speaker is Mr. Jones. |
| hind |
hinder |
hindmost |
Archaic/poetic (e.g., “hindmost row”) |
The hind legs of the animal were injured. The hinder part of the ship was damaged. He stood in the hindmost row. |
| nether |
— |
nethermost |
Poetic/literary (e.g., “nethermost depths”) |
The nether regions of the earth are full of mystery. The treasure was hidden in the nethermost chamber. |