Question 1

What are the main irregular superlatives in English?

Accepted Answer

The main irregular superlatives are "good" → "the best", "bad" → "the worst", "far" → "the furthest" or "the farthest", "much" and "many" → "the most", and "little" → "the least". These forms are irregular because they do not add -est in the normal way. You cannot predict them from spelling alone, so it is best to learn them as a set with their comparative forms too: good, better, the best; bad, worse, the worst; far, further or farther, the furthest or farthest. Short review charts help.

Question 2

Is the goodest ever correct?

Accepted Answer

"The goodest" is not standard English. Use "the best" as the superlative of "good": "This is the best answer", "She is the best player", "That was the best meal of the week". Children may say "goodest" while learning, and you might hear it jokingly in informal speech, but it is wrong in exams and careful writing. The same warning applies to "the baddest" when you mean "the worst". In some slang contexts, "baddest" can mean impressive or tough, but learners should use "the worst" for the normal negative meaning of bad.

Question 3

Should I write furthest or farthest?

Accepted Answer

Both "the furthest" and "the farthest" can describe the greatest physical distance: "She lives the furthest from school" and "She lives the farthest from school" are both understandable. In British English, "furthest" is generally more common and also works for abstract ideas, such as "the furthest point in the discussion". "Farthest" is mainly used for physical distance and is more common in American English. For most British English learner writing, "the furthest" is the safer default. If an exercise accepts both forms, either answer is fine for distance.

Irregular Superlatives Exercises

Quick Rule

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Basic Superlatives

Short Superlatives (-est)

Long Superlatives

-ed vs -ing Adjectives

Conditionals

Present Perfect