This paper addresses gradability in American Sign Language (ASL). The literature has
argued that languages may or may not introduce degree variables, i.e., there is cross-linguistic
variation with regard to whether languages should be analyzed as degree or degreeless languages
(Beck et al., 2004). In particular, it has been proposed that ASL should be analyzed as a degree
language (Kentner, 2020). In contrast, we argue that ASL is a degreeless language. Our
discussion is based on a comprehensive examination of adjectives across different constructions
(e.g., different comparison strategies, differential comparatives, questions targeting degrees, crisp
judgments, etc.). We offer two types of evidence, which come from two different methodological
choices: (i) elicitation and playback data with 4 consultants with different profiles across a
variety of predicates and constructions; (ii) the SLAAASH corpus (Lillo-Martin & Chen Pichler,
2008), totaling over 200 hours of spontaneous production of four different Deaf children (ages
1;06-4;09), and their adult caregivers or experimenters in ASL. Our approach further means that
Aristodemo & Geraci’s (2018) claim that sign languages may directly represent degrees due to
the visual nature associated with signing does not find support in ASL