36 Adjectives to Describe a Person's Personality and Character

Co-authored by Eric McClure

Last Updated: March 24, 2023

If you’re looking for words you can use to describe someone else’s personality, you’re in the right place. In this article, we’ll provide a variety of negative, neutral, and positive words you could use to describe your best friend, hype up a good teammate, flesh out a villain, finish your essay, or just describe an acquaintance. We'll also share what some of these character traits mean! Keep reading for the best words to paint the perfect picture of any person.

Section 1 of 3:

Positive Personality Adjectives

1
Pleasant If someone is pleasant, it means they’re easygoing and generally nice to be around. A pleasant person is unlikely to bother anyone or stir up any trouble.^{[1]
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- “James is really quite pleasant to be around. He never argues or causes a fuss.”
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Cheerful If someone is openly happy, always smiling, and they tend to be positive, they might be described as cheerful (or cheery).
- “How can Melissa be so cheerful at 8 o’clock in the morning? I just don’t get it.”
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3
Cordial Cordial people are well-mannered, warm, and approachable. If a person is considered cordial, they likely come off as relaxed and friendly, with a unique ability to win the approval of others.
- “I really like the way he held the door open for me. He’s such a cordial boy.”
4
Empathetic An empathetic person is able to imagine what it’s like to stand in someone’s shoes. This would be a great word to describe your best friend if they always seem sad whenever you’re going through a hard time, for example.
- “I got a good grade and told Mindy about it. She’s so empathetic that she almost cried tears of joy for me!”
5
Virtuous If someone is virtuous, it means they have high moral standards and that they generally care about doing what’s right. It can also generally refer to someone who is righteous and law-abiding.
- “Derek is virtuous fellow. He’s always volunteering on the weekend.”
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Sociable A sociable person is outgoing and gets a lot of personal fulfillment from talking to new people. It doesn’t mean they talk too much, just that they’re very active and friendly.
- “You’ve got to invite Sabrina to the party! She’s the most sociable person we know.”
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Insightful If someone knows how to make sense of confusing situations, solve puzzles, or use clues to figure out how people feel, they’re insightful. It’s not quite raw intelligence, but wisdom, emotional knowledge, and awareness.
- “Tehilah is so insightful; she knew Tim and I broke up before I even told her just based on how I was acting.”
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Imaginative Someone may be imaginative if they have the ability to generate creative, unique ideas or express original thoughts with ease.
- “We had to write a short story for class, and Jimmy is so imaginative that he came up with this tale about a pirate who joins up with a dinosaur to fight crime.”
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Collaborative A collaborative person is really good at working with other people. They’re able to take criticism, and know when to follow instructions and when to grab the wheel. A good teammate is likely to be very collaborative, for example.
- “You should let me join your group project. I’m collaborative, and I know a lot about history.”
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Confident When someone is self-assured and believes in their abilities, they’re confident. A confident person might volunteer to take the lead, or have no problem approaching a cute person at a bar and asking them out.
- “Jamie is confident in his ability to get the job done before Friday. I normally wouldn’t think it’s possible, but he assured me it’s no big deal.”
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Generous A generous person is willing to help others more than the average person would. This may include someone who gives money to charity, or a person who is especially kind and supportive.
- “I was kind of lost and my phone was dead, but this generous man took the time to show me where to go. He even let me make a phone call.”
12
Charismatic If someone is charismatic, they have no problem getting people to like them, or convincing others to do something. A president or motivational speaker might be charismatic, for example.
- “You should totally try out for team captain. You’re the best player on the team, and you’re super charismatic.”

Section 2 of 3:

Negative Personality Adjectives

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Dreary A dreary person is kind of unfun to be around. They may always be in a bad mood, or have a habit of bringing up dark subjects. Picture an abandoned building in the rain. That’s dreary.^{[2]
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- “I don’t like how Tim always makes dark jokes. He’s such a dreary guy.”
2
Aggressive If a person never avoids a fight or they have a tendency to yell or criticize people unfairly, they might be described as aggressive.
- “You shouldn’t disagree with Mr. Wayne. He’s super aggressive when people don’t agree with his perspective.”
3
Judgemental A judgmental (or judgy) person is super critical of others. They may always complain about how other people behave, or refuse to acknowledge when someone does something right.
- “My dad is always telling me hates my outfits. He’s too judgmental.”
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Ruthless Someone with a ruthless personality will refuse to give people the benefit of the doubt, have too much ambition to show compassion, or behave cruelly when it benefits them.
- “My boss is ruthless. He’d call the cops on an employee if it meant he could get a promotion.”
5
Mischievous If a person is mischievous, they find it fun to cause trouble and create chaos. They might be a prankster who loves pulling tricks on their friends, or have a tendency to ignore the rules.
- “Louis has a mischievous quality about him. It’s almost like he’s always trying to mess with you.”
6
Stuffy A stuffy person will not be very open to new ideas, and they’ll have a hard time accepting people who are different. They’ll likely make you feel like you can’t share how you feel.
- “I would hang out with Maisie more often, but her stuffy attitude makes it hard to feel like I can really be me around her.”
7
Tedious If a person is tedious, it means they tire people out by taking too long. A tedious person may talk in a monotonous, boring manner, or fail to recognize when other people aren’t interested in hearing about something.
- “The dean at my school is such a tedious guy. He just goes on and on about the rules. Even when you crack a joke, he just repeats himself.”
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Irksome If a person just rubs you the wrong way, you might describe them as irksome. They may just be annoying because they won’t leave you alone, or irritating because they always say the wrong thing.
- “Johnny has this irksome quality where he never knows when you just want to be left alone.”
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Stingy A stingy individual will refuse to give you anything. It’s usually used to describe someone who refuses to spend money, but it can also apply to someone who refuses to show love, appreciation, or attention.
- “Bosco is such a stingy coach. These uniforms have holes in them and all of our equipment is ancient.”
10
Naïve If someone lacks the wisdom, experience, or judgement to understand the way the world works, they might be described as naïve.
- “I used to be such a naïve guy. I’d walk through rough neighborhoods at night without really thinking about the danger I was putting myself in.”
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Obtuse An obtuse person is unlikely to pick up on things, and will be prone to missing “hints” when people drop them. Obtuse can also be used to describe someone who intentionally doesn’t understand or intentionally doesn’t respect someone’s feelings.
- “I made a joke the other day and everyone laughed except Trevor. He’s so obtuse, I think he just didn’t get it.”
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Narcissistic A narcissistic person has an extreme interest in themselves. They only care about what happens to them, and they may obsess over how they look, how popular they are, or how many people like them.
- “Melissa is always checking her makeup and talking about how many people follow her on social media. She’s so narcissistic.”

Section 3 of 3:

Neutral Personality Adjectives

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Eccentric If a person is eccentric, it means they’re unconventional or strange, but in a way that makes them kind of interesting. An eccentric person may have an uncommon hobby, or dress strangely.^{[3]
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- “My mother is an eccentric woman. She refuses to drink water if it has ice in it, and she always makes this ‘yipping’ noise when she’s thinking out loud.”
2
Wary If a person is wary, it means that they’re cautious, careful, and exacting. A wary person may overthink sometimes, but they’ll tend to make the right decision.
- “Linus is always weary of strangers. That’s why he didn’t open up at the party.”
3
Practical A practical person cares about what’s effective and reasonable, and they won’t concern themselves with hypotheticals or lofty, abstract ideas.
- “I’m a practical woman. If I see something I use is on sale, I’ll buy it even if I don’t need it right away.”
4
Complex If an individual is complex, it means they’re imaginative and intelligent, but kind of a little mysterious. They may surprise people with unique knowledge and skills, or have a deep emotional life.
- “I tend to be suspicious of Nathan. He’s too complex; I can never really tell what he’s thinking.”
5
Judicious If a person has a judicious personality, it means that they’re fair and weigh all of their options. There’s a bit of an implication that they care deeply about morals, as well.
- “Ally is judicious enough to know whether it’s right to go to give her boyfriend a break or not for missing their date. Don’t worry about it.”
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Introverted An introverted individual tends to keep things to themselves. They’re quiet, appreciate solitude, and don’t rely on other people to be happy. The opposite of introverted is extroverted.
- “I’m super introverted. I’d much rather spend Saturday nights relaxing at home alone.”
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Steadfast If someone is steadfast, they are firm in their beliefs and worldview. This may be a good thing if someone is trying to push them into making a bad decision, but it may not be such a good thing if they refuse to change their mind when they’re wrong.
- “As a steadfast person, I don’t tend to get along with people who push me to do things I don’t want to do.”
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Meticulous A meticulous person takes extreme caution (and a lot of time) when they do things. This might mean they take too long to do their taxes, but by the time they’re done, there won’t be any mistakes.
- “Avery is a meticulous worker. It’s true she doesn’t make as many sales as other employees, but I’ve never seen her make a mistake on her paperwork.”
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Esoteric If someone is described as esoteric, it means that they’re a complex person who is extremely difficult to understand (and a little private). That may sound like a negative thing, but esoteric people tend to be very fascinating.
- “Timmy’s motivations are beyond esoteric. I don’t really know what he wants, but I’m sure it makes sense to him.”
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Apprehensive An apprehensive person may be anxious or nervous, but they also tend to be very discerning and capable of identifying the right move.
- “I’m apprehensive about moving to New York City because it’s so expensive, but I’m sure we can make it work if I find a higher paying job there.”
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Whimsical A whimsical individual may seem a little random, but it’s only because they follow every impulse they have. The implication is that a whimsical person is kind of fun and interesting, though. It’s not a dangerous kind of “erratic.”
- “You’re always picking flowers and putting them in your hair. You have such a whimsical spirit!”
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Pensive If someone is pensive, they spend a lot of time thinking carefully and quietly about things. This may be a good thing if it helps them make a wise choice, or a bad thing if they spend too much time weighing options.
- “Winston tends to become quite pensive when he’s faced with a serious choice.”