Personality Adjectives in English
Do more with this exercise
Learn 29 adjectives to describe a person's character: generous, stubborn, reliable, shy, ambitious and more. Read each word and its example, then do the exercises. Some words are useful opposites, such as honest and dishonest, so you can describe people more exactly.
Positive character
generoushappy to give money, time or help
My uncle is so generous that he paid for everyone's dinner last night.
reliableyou can trust them to do what they say
If you need someone reliable, ask Marta. She has never been late.
honestalways telling the truth
I wish more politicians were honest with the people who voted for them.
ambitiouswants to be very successful
He is very ambitious and hopes to become the director of the company one day.
creativegood at having new ideas
My sister is creative. She has designed all the posters for the school.
easygoingrelaxed and not easily worried or angry
Our boss is easygoing, so nobody is afraid to ask her questions.
politeusing good manners with other people
It is polite to say thank you when someone has helped you.
sensiblemaking good, careful decisions
I think it is sensible to take an umbrella when the sky is grey.
determinednot giving up, even when it is hard
She was determined to pass the exam, so she studied every evening.
confidentsure that you can do things well
He felt confident before the interview because he had practised a lot.
hard-workingworks a lot and tries hard
My neighbour is very hard-working. He often works until nine at night.
Negative character
selfishthinking only about yourself
He was selfish. He ate the last piece of cake without asking.
stubbornnot changing your mind, even when you are wrong
My grandfather is so stubborn that he never listens to the doctor.
bossyalways telling other people what to do
My older brother was bossy when we were children, and he told us what to play.
moodyyour mood changes quickly, often to a bad one
Teenagers can be moody: happy in the morning and angry in the afternoon.
lazynot wanting to work or do anything
I felt lazy on Sunday, so I stayed on the sofa all day.
rudenot polite, without good manners
The waiter was rude, and he did not even say hello.
arrogantthinking you are better than other people
He is arrogant. He says that he is the best player in the team.
jealousunhappy because someone has something that you want
She was jealous when her friend got a better job than hers.
meannot willing to share or spend money
He is too mean to buy his own sister a birthday present.
Social style and attitude
shynervous and quiet with people you do not know
When I was a child, I was so shy that I never spoke in class.
outgoingfriendly and happy to meet new people
Lucy is outgoing, so she makes friends wherever she goes.
sensitiveeasily hurt or upset by what people say
Be careful what you say. He is very sensitive and gets upset easily.
adventuroushappy to try new and exciting things
We are adventurous people. Last summer we went climbing in Peru.
optimisticexpecting good things to happen
I'm optimistic that the weather will be nice for the picnic.
Useful opposites
dishonestnot telling the truth
The shop assistant was dishonest. He told us the phone was new, but it wasn't.
unreliableyou cannot trust it or them to work or to come
My old car is unreliable. It has stopped three times this month.
immaturebehaving like a child when you are an adult
It is immature to shout when you don't get what you want.
pessimisticexpecting bad things to happen
Don't be so pessimistic! If we leave now, we will catch the train.
Audio uses a synthetic voice.
Practice exercises
Match the Adjectives
Match each adjective with its meaning.
Choose a word on the left, then its match on the right.
Choose the Correct Word
Choose the correct adjective for each sentence.
9.My brother never changes his mind, even when he is wrong. He is very ___.
10.You can always trust Tom to arrive on time and do his work. He is ___.
11.She told her team what to do all day and never asked for their ideas. She was ___.
12.Peter shared his lunch and paid for the taxi. He is a very ___ person.
13.Which word is the opposite of reliable?
14.My sister is ___ and almost never gets angry about small things.
15.He is so ___ that he thinks nobody in the office is as clever as he is.
Fill in the Blank
Type the missing adjective.
How to describe a person's character in English
We use personality adjectives to say what a person is like, not how they feel today. Someone who is moody changes quickly, but someone who is easygoing is usually calm. Use the verb to be: she is generous, they are hard-working.
Many adjectives come in pairs. Honest has the opposite dishonest, and reliable has the opposite unreliable. Other pairs use different words: shy and outgoing, optimistic and pessimistic. Learning words in pairs helps you remember them.
Add small words to make a description softer or stronger: a bit stubborn, quite shy, extremely ambitious. If you want to be polite, say He can be a bit bossy instead of He is bossy. You can also say what a person did: He was selfish to leave early.
A good way to practise is to describe people you know. Choose one positive and one negative word for a friend, and say why. Use an example from a story: She is reliable because she has never forgotten a meeting.
Frequently asked questions
How can I make the opposite of a personality adjective?
Many adjectives take a prefix: honest becomes dishonest, reliable becomes unreliable, mature becomes immature, polite becomes impolite. Other opposites are different words, for example generous and mean, or shy and outgoing.
What is the difference between selfish and mean?
A selfish person thinks only about themselves in many situations. A mean person especially does not want to spend money or share. We also use mean for unkind behaviour, but on this page it is about money.
Which prepositions go with these adjectives?
Some adjectives need a preposition or a verb after them: jealous of someone, determined to do something, rude to someone, polite to someone. Learn the whole phrase with the word.
Can I use these adjectives for any person?
Be careful. Words like arrogant, lazy, rude or immature can sound strong, so use them for people you know well, or use softer words such as a bit shy or quite stubborn when you are not sure.
Answer key
1. generous
Answer: happy to give money, time or help
A generous person likes to give to other people.
2. selfish
Answer: thinking only about yourself
A selfish person does not think about other people.
3. stubborn
Answer: not changing your mind, even when you are wrong
A stubborn person does not change their mind.
4. bossy
Answer: always telling other people what to do
A bossy person gives orders all the time.
5. ambitious
Answer: wants to be very successful
An ambitious person has big plans for the future.
6. shy
Answer: nervous and quiet with people you do not know
A shy person feels nervous with new people.
7. jealous
Answer: unhappy because someone has something that you want
You are jealous when another person has something that you want.
8. creative
Answer: good at having new ideas
A creative person has new and interesting ideas.
9. My brother never changes his mind, even when he is wrong. He is very ___.
Answer: stubborn
A person who never changes their mind, even when they are wrong, is stubborn.
10. You can always trust Tom to arrive on time and do his work. He is ___.
Answer: reliable
You can trust a reliable person to do what they say.
11. She told her team what to do all day and never asked for their ideas. She was ___.
Answer: bossy
A bossy person always tells other people what to do. An easygoing person would not.
12. Peter shared his lunch and paid for the taxi. He is a very ___ person.
Answer: generous
Sharing food and paying for things shows that a person is generous. Selfish is the opposite.
13. Which word is the opposite of reliable?
Answer: unreliable
We add un- to reliable to make the opposite: unreliable.
14. My sister is ___ and almost never gets angry about small things.
Answer: easygoing
An easygoing person is relaxed and does not get angry easily. A bossy or moody person often does.
15. He is so ___ that he thinks nobody in the office is as clever as he is.
Answer: arrogant
Arrogant means thinking you are better than other people.
16. She cried because she is very ___ and the comment hurt her.
Answer: sensitive
A sensitive person is easily hurt by what people say.
17. I think we will lose the match. Don't be so ___! We are a good team.
Answer: pessimistic
Pessimistic means expecting bad things to happen. Negative is also correct.
18. He is so ___ that he never pays for anything when he goes out with friends.
Answer: mean
A mean person does not want to spend money or share. Selfish is also possible.
19. She is ___ to learn Chinese, so she practises every day.
Answer: determined
We say determined to do something when we do not give up.
20. He was very ___ to speak to the teacher like that. He did not say please.
Answer: rude
Rude means not polite. Impolite is also correct.
21. I was so ___ at school that I never put up my hand in class.
Answer: shy
A shy person feels nervous and quiet with people.
22. My cousin is very ___. She wants to be a famous doctor.
Answer: ambitious
Ambitious means wanting to be very successful. Determined is also correct.