How to describe a person's character in English? I have selected easy, but at the same time very good phrases and words on this topic for you!
Hello, dear readers and blog guests! In the English language there are a huge number of words on the same topic. And the fact is that when we learn English, it is very important to know the most popular, easy and cool ones at the same time. It is impossible to know all the words. There is no point in learning everything in a row either. So the main thing is to know the most necessary ones.
In this article, I have collected for you the coolest and most popular words that can be used to describe a person’s character. I would like you to remember them and try to use them always when you talk to someone in English;)
Words to describe character in English.
In English, if we want to ask about a person's character, we can say:
What kind of a person is he/she?
(What kind of person is he or she?)
What is he/she like?
(What is his or her character?)
These are two very cool phrases, so use them. Looking ahead, I will say that if you want to ask about what a person looks like, you can say:
What does he look like?
(What does he look like?)
But I will write a separate article about that. And in this one we talk about character. Below are some very good words and phrases that can be used to describe the character of people. Develop your vocabulary!
Word |
Translation |
Kind, kind fair |
|
Modest |
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Man of moods |
|
Selfish |
|
Good character, good-natured |
|
Sensitive |
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Savvy |
|
Dull, boring |
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Trustworthy |
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Reliable |
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Shy, timid |
|
Cheerful, energetic |
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Sensitive |
|
Clumsy |
|
Loyal |
|
Gentle, kind |
|
Cruel |
|
Additional vocabulary on character |
|
absent-minded |
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ambitious |
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charming |
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assertive |
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attractive |
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impudent |
|
clumsy |
|
behavior |
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boastful |
|
capable, smart |
|
calm |
|
charitable |
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clumsy |
|
communicative |
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irresistible |
|
vain |
|
conscientious |
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consistent |
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cruel |
|
educated |
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decent |
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diligent |
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obedient |
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two-faced |
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zealous |
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eloquent |
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envious |
|
fair |
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timid |
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frank |
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good-natured |
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haughty |
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hot-tempered |
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mood, humor |
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ill-mannered |
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impudent |
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efficient |
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irritable |
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jealous |
|
fair |
|
Liar is a liar |
|
frivolous |
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modest |
|
mood |
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capricious |
|
neat |
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noble |
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obedient |
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outstanding |
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persistent |
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convincing |
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polite |
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punctual |
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reasonable |
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uninhibited |
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reputation |
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reserved |
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decisive |
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respectful |
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self-confident |
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selfish |
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sentimental |
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shy |
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slippery type |
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slow |
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cunning, hypocritical |
|
witty |
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sophisticated |
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sedate |
|
sweet tooth |
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tactful |
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temperament, disposition |
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touchy |
|
character trait |
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confiding |
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unobtrusive |
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versatile |
|
weak-willed |
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well-bred |
|
resourceful |
Keep learning English and take care of yourself!
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In England they say: “Character makes a man.” And they are right: all our behavioraltraits, our inclinations and preferences,the ability to give up something in favorothers - to be generous, orinability to do this, being a cowardScrooge over every cent, be stingy(mean)…ability to get along with people and degreesocialization – puts everything offimprint on our character!
Someone is ambitious and lovescompetitive stylelife so much that I’m even readyto step over everything in the name of your goals.Someone is self-confident in hisperfect as a peacock. But he saidBuddha: “And there is no limit to perfection!”… Someone so insecure(insecure) and shy (shy) that mergeswith a wall at a party and bites his nailsto the ground from his own (as he believes) - complexes. Someone likes to command and controlin a different, bossy toneand a terrifying index finger,using manipulativetactics are so easy that everything is justthey are surprised: “how is it so beautifulperson, extrovert, well-groomed(tidy) a pedant and just a sweetheart lives withsuch an aggressive fury!”
Many pray for their children and in different ways indulgences and connivancelet children go wild. Spoilt child falling onfloor of the supermarket and hystericaluntil the parent buys hima coveted toy is a prime example.
I have a friend who has seven Fridays during the week." Character changes likevane. The English call such people"moody". Now she is affectionate with herboyfriend, but a moment later jealous(jealous) look shakes the worlds if itlooked in the wrong direction!...But she cancry, contemplating the sunset, finishing the poem andimmediately say: “I’m not sensitive(sensitive)! It's a speck of dust in the eye..." Her boyfriendfinds her charming andslightly bitchy...There is a golden rule: "Treat everyone as they would want to be treated!”- “Treat toothers the way you want to be treated to you!
Be patient yourselfreliable, loving – and lifewill give you exactly the same companions,according to the law of attraction!
Learning new words in English
Guess the correct word
- If a person has got a rich imagination. He/she is ___.
- If you can wait you are ___.
- If you change your mood from being happyto sad, angry, unhappy, often without clear reason. You're ___.
- If a person likes manipulating he/she is ___.
- Who talks a lot that is ___.
- If you feel yourself uncomfortable with otherspeople and don`t want to communicate with them, you are ___.
Answer questions on the topic
- Do you know a moody person among your relatives and friends?
- Can people call you “generous”?
- What traits of character are desirable for being a leader?
- Do you like extravert or introvert people?
- How much time do you spend on talking onSkype a day? Are you talkative?
Tired, very tired
This collection includes basic words that describe human qualities in English. These are mainly character traits and moral qualities. A person can be described in very different ways, from different sides. You can find other words to describe people in the articles:
young | young | |
old | [əʊld] | old |
adult | [əˈdʌlt] | adult |
lazy | [ˈleɪzi] | lazy |
hardworking | [ˈhɑːdˌwɜːkɪŋ] | hardworking |
smart | smart | |
stupid | [ˈstjuːpɪd] | silly |
kind | Kind | |
mean | evil, mean, bad | |
good | good, kind | |
bad | bad | |
nice | nice, cute | |
cute | Cute | |
optimistic | [ˌɒptɪˈmɪstɪk] | optimistic |
pessimistic | [ˌpɛsɪˈmɪstɪk] | pessimistic |
curious | [ˈkjʊərɪəs] | curious |
positive | [ˈpɒzətɪv] | positive |
cruel | cruel | |
calm | calm | |
brave | brave | |
cowardly | [ˈkaʊədli] | cowardly |
cool | cool, cool, cool | |
tough | cool, strong | |
honest | [ˈɒnɪst] | honest |
happy | [ˈhæpi] | happy |
sad | sad | |
angry | [ˈæŋgri] | angry |
scared | frightened | |
tired | [ˈtaɪəd] | tired |
bored | bored | |
helpful | [ˈhɛlpfʊl] | ready to help |
reliable | reliable | |
answered | responsible |
Examples:
The examples do not show all possible meanings of words, but only one or two main ones related to a given part of speech and topic. If you want to know more meanings and examples, use online dictionaries and translators.
- young- young
Everything was different when we were younger. “Everything was different when we were younger.”
- old- old
The Old Man and the Sea. - The old man and the sea.
- adult- adult
This book is for adults. – This book is for adults.
- lazy- lazy
I was too lazy to double check. “I was too lazy to double check.”
- hardworking- hardworking
The miller's daughter was a hardworking girl. – The miller’s daughter was a hardworking girl.
- smart- smart
He is a smart boy and he studies a lot. – He is a smart boy and he studies a lot.
- stupid- silly
Don’t be stupid, this is your chance! - Don't be stupid, this is your chance!
- kind- Kind
She is a kind person, she helps people. – She is a kind person, she helps people.
- mean- evil, mean, bad
My boss is a mean guy, we don’t like him. – Our boss is a bad guy, we don’t like him.
- good- good, kind
We have some good wine for you. - We have good wine for you.
- bad- bad
Don’t talk to strangers, there are many bad people out there. – Don’t talk to strangers, there are a lot of bad people in the world.
- nice- nice, dear
He’s not handsome, but he is a nice guy. - He's not handsome, but he's a nice guy.
- cute- Cute
She has always wanted to have a cute puppy. “She always wanted to have a cute little puppy.”
- optimistic– optimistic
The players were optimistic about the third period. – The players were optimistic for the third period.
- pessimistic- pessimistic
Don't be so pessimistic. - Don't be such a pessimist.
- curious- curious, inquisitive
Babies are curious about everything around them. – Kids are inquisitive about everything that surrounds them.
- positive– positive
Well, at least you are positive about your life. - Well, at least you have a positive outlook on life.
- cruel- cruel
Love is cruel. - Love is cruel.
- calm- calm
The dog was calm and quiet. – The dog was calm and quiet.
- brave- brave
He has done something very brave and stupid at the same time. “He did something very brave and stupid at the same time.”
- cowardly- cowardly
A cowardly lion. - Cowardly Lion.
- cool- cool, cool, cool
This robot looks really cool! – This robot looks really cool!
- tough- steep
The police officer was a really tough guy. “The cop was a really cool guy.”
- honest- honest
You can rely on Jack, he is an honest man. – You can rely on Jack, he is an honest man.
- happy- happy
Don't worry, be happy. - Don't worry, be happy.
- sad– sad
She likes sad music. – She likes sad music.
- angry– angry
The pigs made the birds really angry. - The pigs made the birds very angry.
- scared- scared
The wounded man was scared. – The wounded man was scared.
- tired- tired
I’d like to take a day off, I’m too tired. – I would like to take a day off, I’m too tired.
- bored– bored
When I'm bored, I watch TV series. – When I'm bored, I watch TV series.
- helpful- ready to help
He is a pleasant, helpful young man. “He is a pleasant, helpful young man.
- reliable- reliable
You are going to need more reliable business partner. – You will need a more reliable business partner.
- answered- responsible
Who is responsible for this? – Who is responsible for this?
He is a responsible employee. - He is a responsible employee.
Notes
1. Tough literally means “hard”, in relation to a person – “cool”: Tough guys. - Cool guys.
2. Cute and nice similar words, but nice (pleasant, good, polite) usually talk about a person’s character and appearance:
- He is a nice person. - He nice Human.
- I can't be nice with mean people. - I can't be polite
Sometimes in a conversation there is a need to describe someone we know or, on the contrary, a person completely unfamiliar to us. Moreover, we can talk not only about appearance, but also about personal qualities with which the speaker is dissatisfied or admired. In Russian, we can use participles, adjectives and stable speech patterns for these purposes. In foreign speech, all these means are also present, but most often, adjectives in English that characterize a person help us reveal the image of the character under discussion in all its details. Today we will look at a large volume of new words that allow us to colorfully and fully describe the qualities and appearance of any individual.
Adjectives describing appearance
A person's appearance consists of various factors. It is treated as relatively permanent signs: eye and hair color, timbre of voice, height, age, physique, facial features, etc.; and frequently changing properties: style of clothing and shoes, possible jewelry, accessories. The variety of adjectives allows you to convey both the general impression of people’s appearance and clearly differentiate each feature. The table below provides a list of different definitions that describe a person's appearance in a neutral, positive and negative way.
Description of appearance | ||
Positive traits | Neutral facts | Negative coloring |
Beauty and attractiveness: attractive - attractive; cute - adorable; beautiful/handsome – beautiful/handsome; fit – excellent, ideal body shape; |
Hair:
bald – bald; curly - curly; blonde - blond; redhead - red; shoulder-length – long to the shoulders; wavy - curly. |
scruffy - sloppy; fat – too thick, greasy; flabby – saggy, flabby; awkward - clumsy; repulsive - repulsive, disgusting; ugly - ugly; |
Age and height:
young – young; old – old; tall – tall; short – short; |
||
Effectiveness:
presentable – respectable, representative; well-built - well built; gorgeous – magnificent, amazing; well-dressed - well dressed; |
Physique:
chubby – chubby; plump – well-fed, plump; muscular – muscular slender – slender; thin - thin; stocky – stocky; |
|
State:
pale – pale; suntanned - tanned; |
Of course, it is impossible to convey in one table all the English adjectives that characterize a person’s appearance or describe various nouns. But we tried to provide the most diverse and frequently used examples in speech for initial study. Next, we will consider what lexical means can be used to characterize the behavior, principles and views of an individual.
Adjectives in English that characterize a person as a person
All people tend to have a natural sensitivity and reaction to actions, which gradually turns into an individual manner of behavior, while simultaneously developing a special outlook on life and its values. The complex of these actions shapes a person’s character and precedes the formation of a full-fledged personality. According to the scale of the phenomenon, in various languages there is such a huge number of words and expressions about the qualities of people that it is simply not comparable with similar vocabulary used to denote appearance.
For this category, we have also compiled a table in which adjectives in English characterizing human qualities are presented with translation. As mentioned earlier, there are about several thousand such lexical units, and, naturally, you cannot rewrite all of them, much less memorize them. We have selected almost a hundred English definitions that characterize an individual from a positive or negative side. For convenience, the words are summarized into small thematic groups. Let's look at them.
Expression of Personality Qualities | |||
Criteria | Strongly positive aspects | Neutral qualities depending on the context of the phrase | Sharply negative aspects |
Behavior in society | sociable - sociable; punctual - punctual; civil – well-mannered; friendly - friendly; noble - noble; tactful - tactful; communicative - sociable; consider – delicate; |
aloof – aloof, aloof; self-confident - self-confident; tolerant - tolerant; dominant – dominant; indifferent – indifferent; independent - independent; practical – practical; |
sneaky - sneaky; vindictive - vindictive; uncontrollable - uncontrollable; arrogant – arrogant; bad-mannered - poorly mannered; boastful - boastful; selfish - selfish; maladroit – tactless; |
Emotional states | energetic – energetic; determined - decisive; happy – happy; hot-blooded – ardent; impressionable – impressionable; cheerful - cheerful; excited – lively; |
excitable – excited; impulsive – impulsive; compassionate - sympathizer; alert – alert; thoughtful - thoughtful; |
violent – hot-tempered; fussy – nervous; unstable – unbalanced; inert – inert, sluggish; low – depressed; pompous - pompous; angry - angry; |
The ability to think, learn, create | able - capable, talented; creative – creative; bright – smart; understanding – understanding; clever - smart; adroit - dexterous, skillful; |
quick witted - resourceful; imaginative - gifted with a rich imagination; keen - insightful; ordinary - ordinary; forgetful - forgetful; ambitious - ambitious; |
incapable - incapable; blunt - slow-witted; small-minded – limited; uneducated – uneducated; foolish - stupid; dim-witted – narrow-minded, slow-witted; |
Strength of character | brave - brave; incorruptible - incorruptible; fair-minded - fair; diligent – executive; plucky – decisive; courageous - brave; purposeful – purposeful; |
critical – critical; stubborn - stubborn; committed – convinced, believing in the idea; calm – unperturbed; devout – devout; fearless - fearless; proud – proud; straightforward - frank; |
weak-willed – weak-willed; spineless - spineless, characterless; irresponsible - irresponsible faint-hearted – lacking willpower, faint-hearted; indecisive – hesitant; |
Other congenital or acquired qualities and properties | easy-going – good-natured; careful - caring; wise - wise; courteous – gallant; dedicated – devoted; polite – polite; sensible - prudent; |
gentle - gentle; obstinate – stubborn; candid – sincere; shy – shy; obedient – obedient; observant - observant; playful - frivolous; vain – vain; |
greedy - greedy; lily-livered – cowardly; malicious - malicious; stingy – stingy, miser; cruel - cruel; torpid – apathetic; close – closed; rude - rough; boring - boring; |
We have studied adjectives to describe various properties and qualities of people, and are now able to describe the character of any person in English. Let's continue to improve our English in the next classes!
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My best friend's name is Andrew. He is fifteen years old. Andrew is my classmate. We also do judo together. Andrew is a really good friend. What I like about him is that he is sincere with his friends. He is very helpful and his friends can always rely on him. I think he is a loyal friend to me.
Andrew is an optimistic person. He is well-balanced and quite reserved. He always keeps calm in critical situations. Andrew is quite sensible and practical. He is very responsible.
Andrew is purposeful and assertive. He always expresses his ideas and opinion with confidence. He does well at school, because he is studious and works really hard. My friend is also very intelligent and resourceful. Andrew is good at Math, Physics and Chemistry.
Andrew is a sociable person. He has a good sense of humor and a great imagination. We always have a lot of fun together. To my mind Andrew is a wise person: he often gives me good advice.
Although Andrew and I are good friends, we sometimes argue fiercely about different things. And Andrew can often be really stubborn. Sometimes he is also too self-confident and bossy.
My best friend's name is Andrey. He is fifteen years old. Andrey is my classmate. We also go to judo together. Andrey is a very good friend. What I like about him is that he is sincere with his friends. He is very responsive and his friends can always rely on him. I think he is a true friend.
Andrey is an optimistic person. He is balanced and quite reserved. He always remains calm in critical situations. Andrey is quite reasonable and practical. He is very responsible.
Andrey is purposeful and persistent. He always confidently expresses his thoughts and opinions. He does well in school because he is diligent and studies very hard. My friend is also very smart and resourceful. Andrey is well versed in mathematics, physics and chemistry.
Andrey is a sociable person. He has a good sense of humor and a rich imagination. We always have fun together. In my opinion, Andrey is a wise man: he often gives me good advice.
Although Andrei and I are good friends, we sometimes argue heatedly about different things. Andrey can often be very stubborn. Sometimes he is also overconfident and likes to boss others around.