Adjectives to Describe a Person

People vary in terms of their physical appearance and personalities, and the words that are used
to describe them are just as varied. Some words are better suited to describing the physical
appearance of someone, some are best used to describe the person’s style, and others are ideal
for describing the person’s character traits. It is important to have these words in your written and
spoken vocabulary because you may, at some point in your life, face a situation that requires you
to describe someone.

1. Personality

Personality means an individual’s tendencies to behave, think, and react in a particular way. Most
sociologists agree that personalities come about from the cultures and families in which people
are raised.

 Calm: Serene, Someone who has a calm personality does not get agitated or upset easily.
 Example: Sona’s calm, cool personality makes her the ideal leader for the hiking team.
 Related adjectives: serene, tranquil, unagitated

 Arrogant: Consumed with self-importance. Someone who is arrogant thinks too highly of
him/herself and thinks very little about the opinions of others. Arrogant people are often
disliked by others.
 Example: He was so arrogant that he neglected to take heed to the warnings of the
locals that a trek up the mountain was dangerous.

 Humble: Meek, considerate of others, acknowledging of one’s limitations.

 Example: The humble librarian won the respect of all the library users.
 Related adjectives: meek, mild, modest

 Eccentric: Eccentric personalities are out of the box. They are unusual and often strange in
the eyes of others.
 Example: Donahue was so eccentric that even the few friends he had, had trouble
keeping up with him.
 Related adjectives: bizarre, outre, nonconcentric

 Charismatic: The ability to effortlessly winning the affections of others.

 Example: Even though Calvin was new to the school, his charismatic ways soon won
over most of the students and this was the main reason he won the race for class
president.
 Related adjectives: magnetic

2. Style
A person’s style is really their way of dressing, and the way they carry themselves. Personality
plays a significant role in determining style. As with personality therefore, there are many different
words that can be used to describe style. Some of them are explored in this section.

 Flamboyant: Having a preference for the fashionably glamorous and expensive things. A
flamboyant style is also known as a larger than life approach. People with this personality
are extremely excessive in their search for attention, the limelight, and fashion.
 Example: The flamboyant new office attendant got the attention of everyone each time
she stepped into the office decked out in a trendy new outfit.
 Related adjectives: aureate, florid

 Chic: Fashionably current. A chic style is usually simple, unique, and fashionable all at the
same time.
 Example: Carmen has always been a chic fashion enthusiast, so her decision to
choose a career in this field did not surprise anyone.
 Related adjectives: voguish, smart, stylish, fashionable

 Eclectic: possessing a style that is inspired by varying ideas and cultures.

 Example: The eclectic world history teacher never ceased to amaze his students with
new and culturally diverse wardrobe items.

 Modest: Simple and conventional. The opposite of flamboyant or risqué. Someone with a
modest style usually go for the simple.
 Example: The two girls couldn’t be more different in style with Samantha having a flair
for the extravagant and Samara being
 Related adjectives: humble

3. Nationality/ethnic background

Nationality is the nation or country to which someone belongs to. Ethnic background is essentially
the Ethnic group (such as Asian, Caucasian, etc…) to which an individual belongs. The rules of
English state that adjectives that fall in this category should be capitalized. The exceptions to this
rule are ethnicity adjectives that refer to color. The first four examples in this section are
nationality adjectives while the other two are ethnicity adjectives.

 Hungarian: A national of Hungary

 Example: Bernadett is Hungarian, but her husband isn’t.

 Ethiopian: Possessing Ethiopian citizenship.

 Example: Our new foreign exchange student is Ethiopian and very proud of his
heritage and culture.
  British: Belonging to Britain
 Example: The British model brought global attention to world hunger when she
volunteered to spend three months delivering food to starving children.

 American: Belonging to America. This word usually refers to citizens of the United States of
America and not to those who live in South America. Citizens of South America are usually
referred to by using adjectives that come from the name of their countries and in general,
are called South Americans.
 Example: The American driver won a race.

 Hispanic: This word is used to describe the ethnic identity of persons from Spanish
speaking countries.
 Example: The Hispanic instructor was so great that all his students begged for longer,
more frequent lessons.

 Caucasian: This word typically refers to members of the white race.

 Example: The reporter identified the Good Samaritan as a Caucasian male in his late
fifties.

 Black: Belonging to the race that originated in Africa characterized by dark or brown
complexion and curly hair.
 Example: The quartet was racially even, with two black singers and two white ones.

4. Physical Appearance

Physical appearance is self-explanatory. It includes aspects of an individual that others can see,
hear, and feel, such as hair, height, and shape. Each aspect has its own set of suitable
descriptive words. This section explores some of those words. The focus for this section will be
words that describe the physical appearance of people.

4.a Hair: The texture and color of an individual’s hair is determined, to a great extent by
his/her ethnicity. Nowadays however, a lot of methods are used to change hair color and texture.
The words below describe the physical appearance of human hair.

 Straight: Consisting of elongated strands with no curves. Naturally straight hair is

associated with persons who are Caucasian, Asian, or Indian. Persons with straight hair
achieve curly hair by using different styling methods and tools.
 Example: She had long flowing straight hair that danced beautifully on windy days.

 Curly: Consisting of several curves. Some Indians and Caucasians may have curly hair, but
this type of hair is most popular with individuals of African descent. Curly hair can be
straightened temporarily to achieve a different look.
  Example: His curly hair fell messily on his forehead, creating an almost artistic noodle-
like arrangement against his skin.

 Cropped: Cut short to embrace the face. Cropped hair is cut close to the scalp and is a
unisex hairstyle which means that it suits both men and women.
 Example: Her short cropped hair formed a perfect frame for her heart-shaped face.

 Black: Having a completely dark color. Often described as the absence of light or the
opposite of white. This hair color is the most popular natural human hair color.
 Example: Her black hair was swept into an elaborate upsweep that wowed everyone
at the pageant.

 Auburn: A variety of red hair that is a cross between brown and red.
 Example: She brushed her silky auburn hair behind her ear and smiled sheepishly at
him.

 Blonde: A yellowish hair color. This hair color comes in a variety of yellow or gold shades
which range from rich or heavy to light. This word is often used to describe a woman who
has hair of this color. Men’s hair can also be described as blond.
 Example: She bowed her head and started to pray; all they could see was a mop of
light blonde hair neatly arranged on her head and effectively masking her face.

 Brunette: Dark brown hair. This word is used to describe a woman who has this type of hair.
 Example: The amicable, tall brunette contestant stood out among all her blonde
counterparts.

4.b Height: Some height adjectives, such as monumental, are unsuitable for descriptions of
people. However, below are some height adjectives that are appropriate for descriptions of
people.

 Towering: Much taller than the norm. Someone who is described as towering tends to be so
tall, that he or she has to look down at others.
 Example: His towering physique made him attractive to recruiters for basketball
teams.

 Tapering: In referring to height this word means very tall and thin. It is similar to towering,
but is not as popular in use. Be careful in using it however, as it does have another meaning.
In describing other things, it carries the meaning; diminishing or lessening.
  Example: The tiny baby boy soon grew into a tapering, well-groomed young man.

 Lanky: Very tall and slim in an unappealing or clumsy way. This word is often used to
describe someone in a negative way.
 Example: I carefully glanced at the reflection in the store window and realized that my
stalker was a lanky, greasy haired man who seemed to be in his forties.

 Squat: Short and thickset. This word is used to describe someone who is short.
 Example: She looked down at him from the balcony and was bemused at how
unusually squat he appeared from that angle.

 Dwarfish: small in stature. This word helps to create an image of a person who is extremely
short, like a dwarf.
 Example: She smiled after glimpsing at his dwarfish figure running away from
mischief.

4.c Shapes: Another area in which human beings differ is the shape of their bodies. Shape
adjectives help to create clear and visual images of the physical appearance of people. Some
shape adjectives are more suitable to a particular gender as the examples below will illustrate.

 Curvaceous: Possessing attractive curves. This word is suitable for describing females who
have attractive physiques.
 Example: Her curvaceous physique awed everyone as she strutted on the catwalk.

 Chiseled: Prominently outlined. This word is most appropriate for the description of a man’s
face, especially his jaw line. It is also used to describe well-developed muscles of an athlete
or fitness pro.
 Example: Her firm and chiseled calves, which made her the envy of all her friends,
were the products of years and years of hard work in the gym.

 Rotund: Having a plump or round shape.

 Example: A rotund police officer continuously glared at them through the window,
making them feel extremely guilty.

 Plump: Round in shape or fat.

 Example: The terminally ill patient was accompanied to her bed by a plump, kind
nurse who made her feel relaxed and safe.
 5. Characteristics and Traits

A part of what makes each individual unique is his or her characteristics and traits. People’s
characteristics or traits become clear when they speak, act, and interact with others. The things
that are habitually said and done help to determine someone’s characteristic or trait. These
attributes are most adequately described by using adjectives such as the ones in this section.

 Clever: Very smart. Some other words for clever are; shrewd or witty.
 Example: There was no need to worry as the experienced and clever technician was
able to figure out the problem almost immediately.

 Generous: Kind and considerate of others.

 Example: The fire victims were offered food and clothing by a generous community
member who heard about their plight.

 Mysterious: Difficult to understand. Seemingly secretive

 Example: The most intriguing part of the novel was the mysterious stranger who
appeared suddenly in the town.

 Creative: Talented when it comes to finding new solutions, fixing things, or coming up with
novel ideas.
 Example: The ideal candidate for the position is a creative, multi-tasker who has
excellent people skills.

 Flexible: Open to and accepting of changes. Easily adaptable to new situations and
environments.
 Example: The new principal was flexible enough to allow for some very novel changes
in the way the school is run, such as the introduction of student-led days where the
students and teachers switched roles temporarily.

Positive Personality Adjectives

List of 100 common personality adjectives that describe people positively

Most people would consider the character traits described by the personality adjectives below to be
"good" or positive. This is generally true, but remember that words are often used subjectively. For
example, "determined" is shown here as a positive personality adjective, while "stubborn" is listed on
the negative personality adjectives page, yet the meaning of both can be very similar. The choice of
word sometimes says as much about the author as about the person being described.
adaptable

adventurous

affable

affectionate

agreeable

ambitious

amiable

amicable

amusing

brave

bright

broad-minded

calm

careful

charming

communicative

compassionate

conscientious

considerate

convivial

courageous

courteous

creative

decisive

determined

diligent

diplomatic

discreet
dynamic

easygoing

emotional

energetic

enthusiastic

exuberant

fair-minded

faithful

fearless

forceful

frank

friendly

funny

generous

gentle

good

gregarious

hard-working

helpful

honest

humorous

imaginative

impartial

independent

intellectual

intelligent
intuitive

inventive

kind

loving

loyal

modest

neat

nice

optimistic

passionate

patient

persistent

pioneering

philosophical

placid

plucky

polite

powerful

practical

pro-active

quick-witted

quiet

rational

reliable
reserved

resourceful

romantic

self-confident

self-disciplined

sensible

sensitive

shy

sincere

sociable

straightforward

sympathetic

thoughtful

tidy

tough

unassuming

understanding

versatile

warmhearted

willing

witty

Negative Personality Adjectives

List of 100 common personality adjectives that describe people negatively

Most people would consider the character traits described by the personality adjectives below to be
"bad" or negative. This is generally true, but remember that there can be exceptions. For example,
for a policeman "aggressive" might be a negative trait while for a boxer it might really belong to the
positive personality adjectives.

aggressive

aloof

arrogant

belligerent

big-headed

bitchy

boastful

bone-idle

boring

bossy

callous

cantankerous

careless

changeable

clinging

compulsive

conservative

cowardly

cruel

cunning

cynical

deceitful

detached

dishonest
dogmatic

domineering

finicky

flirtatious

foolish

foolhardy

fussy

greedy

grumpy

gullible

harsh

impatient

impolite

impulsive

inconsiderate

inconsistent

indecisive

indiscreet

inflexible

interfering

intolerant

irresponsible

jealous

lazy
Machiavellian

materialistic

mean

miserly

moody

narrow-minded

nasty

naughty

nervous

obsessive

obstinate

overcritical

overemotional

parsimonious

patronizing

perverse

pessimistic

pompous

possessive

pusillanimous

quarrelsome

quick-tempered

resentful

rude

ruthless
sarcastic

secretive

selfish

self-centred

self-indulgent

silly

sneaky

stingy

stubborn

stupid

superficial

tactless

timid

touchy

thoughtless

truculent

unkind

unpredictable

unreliable

untidy

untrustworthy

vague

vain

vengeful

vulgar

weak-willed
Positive Adjectives and Idioms to Describe
People in English
A bubbly personality

someone who is very happy, perky, and often optimistic

A ray of sunshine

a happy person who makes others happy; to be warm, kind, bright; someone who is a delight
to be around

A Type A personality

someone who is ambitious, goal-driven, focused on achievement, competitive, organized,

proactive, and in control

Affectionate

someone who is loving and warm

An old soul

someone who is wise and thoughtful; someone who seems much older than they are with
much wisdom

Artistic

someone who is very creative; someone who has a natural ability in art

Charismatic

someone with great charm; one who inspires others or is compelling

Chatty

someone who talks a lot or is easy to talk to; talkative

Classy
elegant; stylish; skillful; someone with high standards for behavior and looks

Down-to-earth

someone who is practical, realistic; sensible

Easygoing

someone who is mostly relaxed and calm; relaxed; laid-back is also often used to describe
someone with these traits

Gregarious

someone who is full of life, very social, friendly; someone often described as the life of the
party

Industrious

a hard-worker; someone who is skilled and diligent at work

Larger-than-life

someone with a very strong personality; someone who impresses others

Natural-born ______ (for example, a natural-born artist)

someone who has a natural ability at something from a young age

Social butterfly

slang for someone who is dynamic, charismatic, and very social

Sympathetic

someone who is a good listener and listens to others problems; someone who expresses
sympathy

Thick-skinned
someone who is not easily upset by criticism or insults

Unassuming

someone who is not arrogant about their abilities; humble; no desire to be noticed or praised

Negative Adjectives and Idioms to Describe

People in English
Aloof

someone who is generally unfriendly, distant, or cold toward others.

Aggressive

someone who is always ready to fight or argue; someone who might be very forceful to get
what they want

Armchair critic

someone who often gives unhelpful criticism and rarely offers their own ideas or solutions.

Big-headed

someone who believes they are better or more important than other people; egotistical

Bossy

someone who often tells others what to do or gives orders

Busy body

someone who is too involved or interferes too much in other people’s lives

Clingy

someone who needs another person or needs emotional support all the time

Couch potato
a lazy person who spends a lot of time sitting, watching TV, playing video games, or doing
some other activity that doesn’t involve physical activity.

Cynical

someone who believes the worst about others or believes people are generally dishonest or
selfish

Full of hot air

someone who talks a lot without saying anything of value or meaning

Goody-goody or goody two shoes

someone who is always good or always follows the rules BUT is a little arrogant about it, thus
it has a negative connotation

Grumpy

to have a bad mood or bad temper

Impulsive

someone who makes decisions without thinking or considering the consequences; doing
things without thought or care

Indecisive

someone who cannot make a decision

Know it all

someone who pretends or likes to appear as if they know everything but they are not;
someone who pretends to be an expert on everything

Materialistic

someone who is focused or obsessed with material wealth and possessions

Obnoxious

someone who is annoying or unpleasant; offensive

Pain in the neck

someone who is annoying; a situation that is annoying or inconvenient

Picky

someone who is never pleased or happy with their choices

Set in one’s ways

someone who refuses to change; to be inflexible

Tactless

someone who tends to offend or upset people

Thoughtless

someone who never shows concern or care for others

Wet Blanket (Party Pooper / Spoilsport / Killjoy / Stick-In-The-Mud)

someone who spoils or steals other people’s fun; disapproving

adaptable –adj able and usually willing to change

Synonyms: compliant, flexible, malleable, resilient, versatile

adventurous –adj daring, risk-taking

Synonyms: adventuresome, audacious, bold, courageous, enterprising, intrepid, risky, brave

Click on the word below to follow the thesaurus link.

affable
affectionate
agreeable
ambitious
amiable
amicable
amusing

brave
bright
broad-minded

calm
careful
charming
communicative
compassionate
conscientious
considerate
convivial
courageous
courteous
creative

decisive

determined
diligent
diplomatic
discreet
dynamic

easygoing
emotional
energetic
enthusiastic
exuberant

fair-minded
faithful
fearless
forceful
frank
friendly
funny

generous
gentle
good
gregarious

hard-working
helpful
honest
humorous

imaginative
impartial
independent
intellectual
intelligent
intuitive
inventive

kind

loving
loyal

modest

neat
nice

optimistic
P

passionate
patient
persistent
pioneering
philosophical
placid
plucky
polite
powerful
practical
pro-active

quick-witted
quiet

rational
reliable
reserved
resourceful
romantic

self-confident
self-disciplined
sensible
sensitive
shy
sincere
sociable
straightforward
sympathetic

thoughtful
tidy
tough

unassuming
understanding
V

versatile

warmhearted
willing
witty

Words used to describe someone's

personality - thesaurus
Related words

adaptive
ADJECTIVE

changing in order to deal with new situations

addictive
ADJECTIVE

someone who has an addictive personality becomes addicted to things very easily

a leopard can’t change its spots

used for saying that someone will never change their behaviour or character

a man of something

a man with a particular quality or ability

as a person

used for talking about someone in relation to their character rather than their professional position

at heart
used for saying what someone’s basic character is

babyish
ADJECTIVE

like a baby

badass
ADJECTIVE

AMERICANVERY INFORMAL ready to behave in an unpleasant way when necessary

be a bundle of something

used for emphasizing that someone has a lot of a particular quality

be a good/bad etc judge of something

to be someone whose opinions about something are usually right, wrong, intelligent etc

be made of sterner stuff

to be stronger in your character than people expect

be nothing if not

used for emphasizing that someone or something has a lot of a particular quality

born
ADJECTIVE

used for saying that someone had a particular condition, personal quality, name, or social status
at the time when they were born

classy
ADJECTIVE
INFORMAL someone who is classy has the natural ability to choose the best thing or behave in a
suitable way in every situation

clingy
ADJECTIVE

INFORMAL wanting to be with another person all the time in a way that is annoying

the complete...

someone who has all the qualities needed for a particular activity

constitutionally
ADVERB

in a way that is related to your general character

deep down

if you have a particular quality deep down, you have that quality, although you try to keep it
hidden from other people

do/is/can etc someone ever

used for emphasizing that someone does something or has a particular quality

flawed
ADJECTIVE

a flawed person has some faults in their character

flexible
ADJECTIVE

able to make changes or deal with a situation that is changing

given to something
having the tendency to do something

great
ADJECTIVE

used about someone who is nice and a pleasure to be with

have
VERB

used for saying what the qualities of someone’s character are

inbred
ADJECTIVE

existing or developing as a result of inbreeding

incarnate
ADJECTIVE

in human form: used for emphasizing that someone is very similar to what has just been
mentioned

inclined
ADJECTIVE

tending to behave in a particular way or to be interested in a particular thing

innate
ADJECTIVE

an innate quality or ability is one that you have always had

in someone’s DNA

if a quality or characteristic is in someone’s DNA, it is an important part of their nature or identity

in your own right

as a result of your own ability, achievements, qualifications etc and not because of anyone else

larger-than-life
ADJECTIVE

someone who is larger-than-life has a very strong or lively personality that impresses people very
much

native
ADJECTIVE

native abilities or qualities are those that you have had since birth

natural
ADJECTIVE

existing in someone from an early age

natural-born
ADJECTIVE

showing a particular ability or tendency from an early age

needy
ADJECTIVE

someone who is needy has emotional problems that make it difficult for them to form good
relationships

not be one to do something

to not be the type of person who would do a particular thing

not have a bad/jealous etc bone in your body

used for emphasizing that someone is not bad/jealous etc in any way
on the outside

used for talking about the way that someone or something seems to people, when this does not
show what they are really like

out-and-out
ADJECTIVE

showing all the qualities of a particular type of person that you do not approve of

outward
ADJECTIVE

used about the feelings or qualities that someone seems to have but may not really have

overweening
ADJECTIVE

FORMAL used for describing a bad quality that someone has which makes them very unpleasant

perfect
ADJECTIVE

used for emphasizing how much someone has of a particular quality

personally
ADVERB

used for emphasizing that you do not dislike someone, just something that they do or the group
they belong to

predisposed
ADJECTIVE

likely to think, feel, or behave in a particular way

prone
ADJECTIVE
likely to do something or be affected by something, especially something bad

reactive
ADJECTIVE

reacting to things that happen, rather than making things happen yourself

sad
ADJECTIVE

used about people’s behaviour or appearance

say this/that for someone

used for admitting that someone who you do not approve of has a good quality

self-aware
ADJECTIVE

understanding what your own true thoughts, feelings, and abilities are

self-confessed
ADJECTIVE

admitting to being a particular bad type of person or to having a particular negative quality

snivelling
ADJECTIVE

SHOWING DISAPPROVAL often complaining or crying, in a way that is annoying

someone’s bark is worse than their bite

used for saying that someone is not as unpleasant or rude as they seem to be when they talk to
you

sporty
ADJECTIVE
a sporty person likes playing sport and plays regularly

temperamental
ADJECTIVE

FORMAL relating to temperament

temperate
ADJECTIVE

not extreme in behaviour or language

territorial
ADJECTIVE

territorial animals or people do not like other animals or people entering an area that they believe
belongs to them

thick-skinned
ADJECTIVE

not easily upset or offended by what other people say about you

through and through

used for saying that someone has all the qualities of a particular type of person

tidy
ADJECTIVE

a tidy person always puts their things away in the correct place

too clever/nice/generous etc for your own good

so clever/nice/generous etc that it is a disadvantage instead of an advantage

to the core
used for emphasizing that an aspect of someone’s character is very strong and will not change

to your fingertips

if you are a particular type of person to your fingertips, you are a perfect example of that type of
person, in every detail

true to form/type

used for saying that someone is doing exactly what you expected because this is what they
usually do

Walter Mitty
NOUN

someone who imagines that unusual or exciting things happen to them, but whose life is in fact
very ordinary

wayward
ADJECTIVE

a wayward child or someone with wayward behaviour is difficult to control and does unexpected
things

well-endowed
ADJECTIVE

having a lot of something that people admire or want, for example money, beauty, or intelligence

your old self

the way that you normally were in the past, before something happened