Personality Adjectives in English – Meanings, Examples and Quiz
Learn English adjectives for personality and character with simple meanings, pronunciation, example sentences, flashcards and a quiz.
Personality adjectives and their meanings
| English adjective | Meaning and example |
|---|---|
| absent-minded | Often forgets things. He is absent-minded. |
| active | Likes doing things and staying busy. She is active. |
| ambitious | Wants to achieve important goals. She is ambitious and works hard. |
| bad-tempered | Gets angry easily. She is bad-tempered. |
| boring | Not interesting to spend time with. He is boring. |
| calm; quiet | Relaxed and not easily upset. She is calm. |
| cautious | Careful to avoid danger or mistakes. He is cautious. |
| cheerful | Usually happy and positive. He is cheerful even on rainy days. |
| cocky; big-headed | Too proud of their own abilities. He is cocky. |
| compassionate | Cares about people who are suffering. She is compassionate. |
| composed | Calm and in control of emotions. He is composed. |
| conceited | Thinks too highly of themselves. She is conceited. |
| confident; self-assured; self-confident | Believes in their own abilities. She feels confident during interviews. |
| controlled | Able to manage feelings and behaviour. She is controlled. |
| cowardly | Afraid to face danger. He is cowardly. |
| critical | Often points out faults. She is critical. |
| curious | Wants to learn and discover things. He is curious. |
| determined | Does not give up easily. She is determined. |
| dishonest | Does not tell the truth. He is dishonest. |
| domineering | Tries to control other people. She is domineering. |
| down-to-earth | Practical and sensible. He is down-to-earth. |
| dreamy | Often lost in thoughts or imagination. She is dreamy. |
| dynamic | Full of energy and new ideas. He is dynamic. |
| eager | Very willing to do something. She is eager. |
| easy-going | Relaxed and not easily worried. He is easy-going. |
| emotional | Shows strong feelings. She is emotional. |
| energetic | Full of energy. He is energetic. |
| enthusiastic | Shows strong interest and excitement. She is enthusiastic. |
| even-tempered; level-headed | Usually calm and sensible. He is even-tempered. |
| faithful | Loyal and dependable. She is faithful. |
| fault-finding | Always looking for mistakes. He is fault-finding. |
| fearless | Not afraid. She is fearless. |
| flexible | Willing to change or adapt. He is flexible. |
| forgetful | Often fails to remember things. She is forgetful. |
| formal | Follows rules and conventions. He is formal. |
| friendly | Kind and pleasant to others. She is friendly and easy to talk to. |
| generous | Happy to give or share. My neighbour is generous with her time. |
| good-natured | Kind and pleasant. She is good-natured. |
| good-tempered | Usually calm and pleasant. He is good-tempered. |
| greedy | Wants more than is fair. She is greedy. |
| hard to please | Rarely satisfied. He is hard to please. |
| hardened | Not easily affected by difficulties. She is hardened. |
| hasty; quick-tempered | Acts too quickly or gets angry easily. He is hasty. |
| highly-strung | Easily worried or upset. She is highly-strung. |
| honest | Tells the truth. He is honest with his friends. |
| imaginative | Good at creating new ideas. She is imaginative. |
| impatient | Does not like waiting. He is impatient. |
| impetuous | Acts suddenly without thinking. She is impetuous. |
| impractical | Not good at practical decisions. He is impractical. |
| impudent | Rude and disrespectful. She is impudent. |
| inborn | Present from birth. He is inborn. |
| indecisive | Finds it hard to make decisions. She is indecisive. |
| indifferent | Does not care much. He is indifferent. |
| inherited | Passed down from family. She is inherited. |
| inquisitive | Asks many questions, sometimes too personal. He is inquisitive. |
| insensitive | Does not notice other people’s feelings. She is insensitive. |
| insincere | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is insincere. |
| jealous | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is jealous. |
| lazy | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He can be lazy on weekends. |
| loyal | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is loyal. |
| mean | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is mean. |
| modest | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is modest. |
| moody | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is moody. |
| nervous | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is nervous. |
| never satisfied | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is never satisfied. |
| nice | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is nice. |
| nosy | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is nosy. |
| obserwant | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is obserwant. |
| outgoing | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is outgoing. |
| outstanding | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is outstanding. |
| overindulgent | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is overindulgent. |
| oversensitive | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is oversensitive. |
| passionate | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is passionate. |
| patient | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. Our teacher is patient with beginners. |
| patronizing | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is patronizing. |
| persevering | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is persevering. |
| persistent | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is persistent. |
| phlegmatic | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is phlegmatic. |
| pig-headed | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is pig-headed. |
| pleasant | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is pleasant. |
| pliable | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is pliable. |
| possessive | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is possessive. |
| practical | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is practical. |
| principled | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is principled. |
| proud | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is proud. |
| quick | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is quick. |
| quick-tempered | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is quick-tempered. |
| rash | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is rash. |
| realistic | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is realistic. |
| reliable | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is reliable and always arrives on time. |
| reserved | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is reserved. |
| resolute | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is resolute. |
| righteous | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is righteous. |
| romantic | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is romantic. |
| rude | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is rude. |
| scatter-brained | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is scatter-brained. |
| self-conscious | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is self-conscious. |
| selfish | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is selfish. |
| selfless | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is selfless. |
| sensitive | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is sensitive. |
| sentimental | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is sentimental. |
| serious | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is serious. |
| short-tempered | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is short-tempered. |
| shy | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is shy around new people. |
| silent | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is silent. |
| slapdash | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is slapdash. |
| slow | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is slow. |
| snoopy | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is snoopy. |
| sociable | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is sociable. |
| spiteful | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is spiteful. |
| standoffish | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is standoffish. |
| stiff | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is stiff. |
| striking | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is striking. |
| strong-minded | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is strong-minded. |
| strong-willed | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is strong-willed. |
| stubborn | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is stubborn. |
| suspicious | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is suspicious. |
| talkative | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is talkative. |
| thick-skinned | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is thick-skinned. |
| thin-skinned | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is thin-skinned. |
| tidy | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is tidy. |
| tolerant | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is tolerant. |
| touchy | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is touchy. |
| truthful | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is truthful. |
| uncomplaining | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is uncomplaining. |
| unfeeling | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is unfeeling. |
| unpleasant | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is unpleasant. |
| unreliable | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is unreliable. |
| unsociable | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is unsociable. |
| untidy | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is untidy. |
| vindictive | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is vindictive. |
| warm-hearted | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. She is warm-hearted. |
| wary | A word used to describe someone’s character or behaviour. He is wary. |
Flashcards – practise personality adjectives
Recall the adjective, then reveal the answer.
Quiz – personality adjectives
Type the correct English adjective for each meaning. Ten random questions.
How to describe personality in English
Use be + adjective: “She is friendly.” You can also say “He seems confident” or “They are very reliable.”