Non-gradable

A 'non-gradable' adjective, also known as an 'absolute' or 'extreme' adjective, describes a quality that cannot be intensified or diminished along a scale. They represent a definitive state or characteristic, and don't admit degrees of comparison. For example, something is either 'dead' or it is not; it can't be 'a little bit dead' or 'very dead'. This contrasts with 'gradable' adjectives which can be modified with adverbs to indicate intensity like 'very', 'slightly', or 'extremely'. non-gradable adjectives often denote inherent, inherent or absolute qualities, not subjective ones.

Non-gradable meaning with examples

• Consider the word 'perfect'. Something either is perfect or it isn't; there's no middle ground. You wouldn't say something is 'very perfect' or 'slightly perfect'. It is an absolute state. Similarly, 'unique' is non-gradable – something either exists as the only one of its kind or it doesn't. Thus, 'very unique' sounds grammatically incorrect.
• The term 'dead' is another excellent illustration. A person or object is either alive or they are not. You cannot be 'slightly dead', or 'very dead' because these phrases make no sense. The finality of death dictates its non-gradable nature. Likewise, 'pregnant' falls into the same category; you are either pregnant or not.
• Words like 'impossible' and 'empty' share similar characteristics. An event or situation cannot be 'very impossible'; either it's impossible, or it's possible. Similarly, something is either 'empty' or it's not. It cannot be 'slightly empty' or 'very empty'. They are examples of words that defy gradations.
• The word 'final' is also a non-gradable adjective. It describes the end of a process or the last in a series. There's no such thing as a 'very final' decision; something is either the final decision, or it isn't the final. 'Final', like 'dead' or 'unique', conveys an absolute and terminal state.