Adjectives Ending in -ed and -ing

What are -ed and -ing adjectives?

Many English adjectives come in pairs: one ends in -ed and one ends in -ing. They come from the same verb (bore, interest, tire), but they do not mean the same thing.

• An -ed adjective describes how a person feels.
• An -ing adjective describes the thing (or person) that causes the feeling.

The film was boring, so I felt bored.

The film causes the feeling → boring. I have the feeling → bored.

How -ed and -ing adjectives work

A simple test: ask "Who feels it?" That person is -ed. Ask "What makes them feel it?" That thing is -ing.

• The lesson was interesting. → I was interested.
• The drive home was exhausting. → We were exhausted.
• His jokes are annoying. → Everyone is annoyed.

Common -ed and -ing adjective pairs

Other common pairs: satisfied / satisfying, shocked / shocking, pleased / pleasing, depressed / depressing, terrified / terrifying.

When to use -ed and -ing adjectives

1. Use -ed for people's feelings

The -ed adjective usually goes after be, feel, look, get or seem:

• I feel relaxed after a walk by the lake.
• You look worried. Is everything OK?
• The children got bored in the car.
• He seemed confused by the question.

2. Use -ing for things, places, situations and events

• The first winter in Canada was exhausting.
• This instruction manual is really confusing.
• It was an exciting game.
• We stayed in a relaxing little cabin.

3. Use -ing for people too — when they cause a feeling in others

People can be -ing as well. Then it describes their effect on other people:

• My neighbour is annoying. (He makes me feel annoyed.)
• Our teacher is very interesting. (She makes us feel interested.)
• He is a bit boring. (People feel bored when he talks.)

4. Animals can feel things too

Use -ed for an animal's feelings and -ing for the cause:

• The dog was frightened by the fireworks.
• The fireworks were frightening for the dog.

Prepositions after -ed adjectives

Many -ed adjectives are followed by a preposition. Learn them together.

Notes:

• Bored with and bored of are both common. Some people think "bored of" is informal, but it is widely used.
• Tired of = fed up with something (I'm tired of the rain). It is different from tired = needing sleep.
• Annoyed with a person, annoyed about a situation.
• After a preposition, use a noun or an -ing verb: I'm interested in learning French.

-ed vs -ing: what changes in meaning

This is why "I am boring" is a common and funny mistake. If you mean you have nothing to do, say "I'm bored."

How to pronounce the -ed ending

The -ed ending has three sounds. The spelling is the same, but the sound changes.

The extra syllable /ɪd/ only comes after a t or d sound: excited, disappointed, interested. Do not add an extra syllable to tired or bored — they are one syllable.

Common mistakes

1. Using -ing for your own feelings

• Wrong: I'm very interesting in football.
• Correct: I'm very interested in football.
• Reason: you have the feeling, so use -ed.

2. Using -ed for the thing that causes the feeling

• Wrong: The film was very bored.
• Correct: The film was very boring.
• Reason: the film causes the feeling; it does not feel anything.

3. Saying "I'm boring" when you mean "I'm bored"

• Wrong: There's nothing to do. I'm so boring.
• Correct: There's nothing to do. I'm so bored.
• Reason: "I'm boring" means other people find you dull.

4. Using the wrong preposition

• Wrong: She's interested about art.
• Correct: She's interested in art.
• Reason: interested always takes in.

5. Using a base verb after a preposition

• Wrong: I'm excited about see my family.
• Correct: I'm excited about seeing my family.
• Reason: after a preposition, use an -ing form.

6. Pronouncing an extra syllable in every -ed word

• Wrong: "tir-ed", "bor-ed" (two syllables)
• Correct: "tired", "bored" (one syllable)
• Reason: the extra /ɪd/ sound only comes after t or d.

Quick reference

Common questions

Is it 'I'm bored' or 'I'm boring'?

If you have nothing to do and feel no interest, say "I'm bored." "I'm boring" means that other people think you are dull.

Can I say 'bored of'?

Yes. Bored with and bored of are both used. Bored of is very common in everyday speech, especially in British English. In formal writing, bored with is the safer choice.

Are all -ed adjectives about feelings?

Most of the pairs on this page are about feelings, but not every adjective ending in -ed is. For example, crowded, closed and married describe a state, not a feeling, and most have no -ing partner with a matching meaning.

Practise next

• Adverbs — compare adjectives with words like quickly and really.
• Comparatives and Superlatives — say more interesting and the most boring.
• Prepositions — more practice with in, about, of and with.
• Grammar Fix game — find and correct mistakes like "I'm boring".