23 Adjectives to Describe a Holiday

23 Adjectives to Describe a Holiday

Hello, dear English learners! Welcome to another vocabulary lesson from My Lingua Academy. Apart from grammar, having a rich and varied vocabulary can greatly improve every aspect of your communication — reading, listening, speaking, and writing. In today’s post, we’ll look at 23 adjectives to describe a holiday.

These will help you talk or write about your travel experiences more vividly, whether it’s for everyday English or for Cambridge exams such as B2 First (FCE) or C1 Advanced (CAE).

What Is a Holiday?

A holiday is a time when you don’t go to work or school — a period to rest, travel, or celebrate. People usually take holidays in summer or winter to relax by the sea or in the mountains.

In British English, holiday can also mean a special day when work and school stop, such as Christmas, Easter, or New Year’s Day.

Let’s explore 23 adjectives to describe different kinds of holidays — from relaxing to adventurous!

Activity

A holiday full of sports, courses, or other activities.

• Jane learned kayaking on her activity holiday in Italy.

Adventure

A physically challenging and exciting holiday involving exploration or sports.

• Mark and his girlfriend went on an adventure holiday to South Africa.

Annual

A yearly holiday, often the one you take from work.

• My annual holiday is 24 days long.

Boring

A dull, uninteresting holiday with nothing exciting happening.

• If you don’t want your holiday to be boring, try meeting new people.

Dreary

A miserable, depressing, and repetitive holiday — worse than just boring!

• We spent a dreary holiday on a Croatian island. It rained every day.

Enjoyable

Pleasant, fun, and full of good moments.

• We guarantee your holiday will be enjoyable and relaxing.

Extended

A longer-than-usual holiday.

• Jill took an extended holiday and spent three months in Australia.

Festive

A joyful, cheerful period of celebration.

• The city had a festive holiday atmosphere.

Idle

A lazy, inactive holiday where you rest and do very little.

• Christmas is such an idle holiday — all we do is eat and watch films.

Inexpensive

A cheap or budget-friendly holiday.

• We found a range of inexpensive holidays on this travel website.

Lazy

A holiday for doing nothing and simply relaxing.

• I’m looking forward to a lazy holiday in Thailand.

Long / Short

Used to describe the length of your holiday.

• The couple took a long holiday and went on a Mediterranean cruise.
• Fiona won a short holiday in California.

Monotonous

A repetitive, uneventful holiday — similar to dreary.

• Our holiday was a bit monotonous, but at least we got some rest.

National

A public holiday recognised by a country.

• Independence Day is a national holiday in the USA.

Occasional

A holiday you take from time to time, not regularly.

• Jude always saves money for occasional holidays.

Reflective

A quiet, thoughtful holiday used for reflection.

• After her partner died, she took a reflective holiday to think things through.

Relaxing

A peaceful, restful holiday to unwind and recharge.

• The Seychelles are perfect for a relaxing holiday.

Restful

Very calm and peaceful, giving you complete rest.

• Everyone needs a restful holiday at least once a year.

Spoilt

A ruined or disappointing holiday due to problems or bad luck.

• Do we get compensation for a spoilt holiday?

Traditional

A holiday celebrated in a traditional or cultural way.

• Thanksgiving is a traditional holiday in the USA.

Tranquil

A peaceful and quiet holiday far from the crowds.

• Tuscany is an ideal place for a tranquil holiday.

Universal

A holiday celebrated all around the world.

• New Year’s Day is a universal holiday.

Working

A modern type of travel where people work temporarily while exploring new places.

• Many young people go on working holidays in Australia or New Zealand.

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