Personality Adjectives in English: Words, Examples and Quiz
Friendly or shy, generous or selfish, determined or just stubborn: the adjectives you need to describe what people are like, with pronunciation, simple definitions, Turkish translations and real example sentences.
49 words · By LearnLingo Team · Updated
Tap to hear a word. Pronunciation is American English. Levels follow the CEFR scale. Turkish translations are given as a quick check.
Positive personality adjectives
Good words to describe friends, family, colleagues and yourself in a job interview. Many of them have opposites with un-, im- or dis-: kind and unkind, patient and impatient, honest and dishonest.
| Word | Meaning and example | Turkish |
|---|---|---|
friendly ⁄ˈfrendli⁄ · adjective A1 | nice and pleasant to other people, and easy to talk to Our new neighbors are very friendly. | arkadaş canlısı, samimi |
kind ⁄kaɪnd⁄ · adjective A1 | caring about others and wanting to help them It was very kind of you to help me. | nazik, iyi kalpli |
funny ⁄ˈfʌni⁄ · adjective A1 | making people laugh My uncle is so funny. He always tells jokes. | komik, esprili |
honest ⁄ˈɑːnɪst⁄ · adjective A2 | always telling the truth and not stealing or cheating; the h is silent Be honest. Do you like my new haircut? | dürüst |
polite ⁄pəˈlaɪt⁄ · adjective A2 | behaving well and showing respect, for example by saying please and thank you The children were very polite to the guests. | kibar, terbiyeli |
helpful ⁄ˈhelpfəl⁄ · adjective A2 | happy to help other people The hotel staff were really helpful. | yardımsever, yardımcı |
hard-working ⁄ˌhɑːrd ˈwɝːkɪŋ⁄ · adjective A2 | putting a lot of effort into work or study She's the most hard-working student in the class. | çalışkan |
smart ⁄smɑːrt⁄ · adjective A2 | intelligent and quick to learn; British English often says clever He's really smart. He finished the test in ten minutes. | zeki, akıllı |
brave ⁄breɪv⁄ · adjective A2 | not afraid to do dangerous or difficult things It was brave of you to speak in front of everyone. | cesur |
generous ⁄ˈdʒenɚəs⁄ · adjective B1 | happy to give money, time or things to other people My grandmother is very generous. She always buys us presents. | cömert |
patient ⁄ˈpeɪʃənt⁄ · adjective B1 | able to wait or deal with problems without getting angry A good teacher is patient with slow learners. | sabırlı |
cheerful ⁄ˈtʃɪrfəl⁄ · adjective B1 | happy and positive most of the time She's always cheerful, even on Monday mornings. | neşeli |
confident ⁄ˈkɑːnfɪdənt⁄ · adjective B1 | sure about yourself and your abilities He felt confident before the interview. | kendinden emin, özgüvenli |
reliable ⁄rɪˈlaɪəbəl⁄ · adjective B1 | someone you can trust to do what they say Ask Tom. He's very reliable. | güvenilir |
easygoing ⁄ˌiːziˈɡoʊɪŋ⁄ · adjective B1 | relaxed and calm, and not easily worried or annoyed; British English often writes easy-going My dad is very easygoing. Nothing makes him angry. | rahat, kolay geçinilen |
caring ⁄ˈkerɪŋ⁄ · adjective B1 | kind and wanting to look after other people Nurses need to be caring and patient. | şefkatli, ilgili |
loyal ⁄ˈlɔɪəl⁄ · adjective B2 | always supporting your friends, family or team She's a loyal friend. She never talks about me behind my back. | sadık, vefalı |
Negative personality adjectives
These words can sound strong, so English speakers often soften them with a bit, a little or not very: He's a bit lazy. She's not very patient. Use them carefully when you talk about real people.
| Word | Meaning and example | Turkish |
|---|---|---|
rude ⁄ruːd⁄ · adjective A2 | not polite; saying or doing things that hurt or upset people It's rude to look at your phone during dinner. | kaba |
lazy ⁄ˈleɪzi⁄ · adjective A2 | not wanting to work or make an effort I feel lazy on Sundays. I just stay in bed. | tembel |
selfish ⁄ˈselfɪʃ⁄ · adjective B1 | thinking only about yourself and not about other people Don't be selfish. Share the cake with your sister. | bencil |
mean ⁄miːn⁄ · adjective B1 | unkind to people; in British English it also means not wanting to spend or share money That was a mean thing to say. | kötü niyetli, acımasız; cimri (İngiliz İngilizcesi) |
bossy ⁄ˈbɑːsi⁄ · adjective B1 | always telling other people what to do My older sister was very bossy when we were kids. | emir vermeyi seven, otoriter |
moody ⁄ˈmuːdi⁄ · adjective B1 | often changing from happy to angry or sad, without a clear reason Teenagers can be moody. | dakikası dakikasına uymayan, huysuz |
impatient ⁄ɪmˈpeɪʃənt⁄ · adjective B1 | getting annoyed quickly when you have to wait He gets impatient in traffic. | sabırsız |
jealous ⁄ˈdʒeləs⁄ · adjective B1 | unhappy because someone has something you want, or afraid of losing someone's love He gets jealous when his girlfriend talks to other men. | kıskanç |
arrogant ⁄ˈærəɡənt⁄ · adjective B2 | thinking you are better or more important than other people He's talented, but he's so arrogant that nobody likes him. | kibirli, kendini beğenmiş |
stubborn ⁄ˈstʌbɚn⁄ · adjective B2 | not willing to change your ideas, even when you are wrong My grandfather is too stubborn to see a doctor. | inatçı |
nosy ⁄ˈnoʊzi⁄ · adjective B2 | too interested in other people's private lives; British English also spells it nosey Our nosy neighbor always asks where we're going. | her şeye burnunu sokan, meraklı |
grumpy ⁄ˈɡrʌmpi⁄ · adjective B2 | in a bad mood and complaining a lot; informal I'm always grumpy before my morning coffee. | huysuz, aksi |
Similar idea, different feeling
Some adjectives describe almost the same behavior, but one is a compliment and the other is a criticism. Choose the word that shows how you feel about the person.
| Word | Meaning and example | Turkish |
|---|---|---|
determined ⁄dɪˈtɝːmɪnd⁄ · adjective B1 | not giving up when something is difficult; the positive side of stubborn She was determined to pass the exam, so she studied every night. | kararlı, azimli |
assertive ⁄əˈsɝːtɪv⁄ · adjective C1 | saying clearly what you want or think, in a calm and confident way; the positive side of bossy You need to be more assertive in meetings. | kendini net ifade eden, girişken |
thrifty ⁄ˈθrɪfti⁄ · adjective C1 | careful with money and not wasting it; the positive side of stingy My grandparents were thrifty and saved every coin. | tutumlu |
stingy ⁄ˈstɪndʒi⁄ · adjective B2 | not wanting to spend or share money; informal He's so stingy that he never buys anyone a coffee. | cimri |
sensible ⁄ˈsensəbəl⁄ · adjective B1 | making good, practical decisions It's sensible to take an umbrella today. | mantıklı, aklı başında |
sensitive ⁄ˈsensətɪv⁄ · adjective B1 | easily hurt or upset, or good at noticing other people's feelings Be careful what you say. He's very sensitive. | hassas, duyarlı |
open-minded ⁄ˌoʊpən ˈmaɪndɪd⁄ · adjective B2 | happy to listen to new ideas and opinions My parents are open-minded. I can talk to them about anything. | açık fikirli |
narrow-minded ⁄ˌnæroʊ ˈmaɪndɪd⁄ · adjective B2 | not willing to accept ideas or ways of living that are different from your own It's narrow-minded to judge people by their clothes. | dar görüşlü |
Useful phrases and collocations
What is he like?
What's your new boss like? She's strict but fair.
be kind to, be rude to
Please be kind to your little brother.
be patient with
Be patient with yourself when you learn a language.
a good sense of humor
I like people with a good sense of humor.
get on well with, get along with
I get on well with my colleagues.
It's kind of you to
It's very kind of you to invite us.
a bit lazy, not very patient
He's nice, but a bit lazy.
lose your temper
My dad never loses his temper.
easy to get along with
Our new roommate is easy to get along with.
a heart of gold
She seems strict, but she has a heart of gold.
come across as
He comes across as arrogant, but he's actually just shy.
bring out the best in someone
A good coach brings out the best in every player.
How to learn these words
Learn personality adjectives in pairs of opposites: friendly and unfriendly, patient and impatient, shy and outgoing, generous and selfish. Then link each word to a real person you know and say a sentence about them out loud: My cousin is very outgoing. Review the pairs tomorrow and again in a week. For more pairs, see opposite adjectives.
Ask about personality with What is she like? (not How is she like?). How is she? asks about health. What does she look like? asks about appearance, which you can describe with the words in describing appearance.
Watch out for false friends. Sensible means practical, not sensitive. Sympathetic means kind and understanding when someone has a problem, not likeable. Nervous means worried, not angry; for someone who gets angry easily, say bad-tempered or short-tempered. Read more in false friends.
Fun and funny are different. Funny means it makes you laugh: a funny joke. Fun means enjoyable: a fun party. A funny person makes you laugh; a fun person is nice to spend time with. In British English mean often means not generous, while in American English it usually means unkind.
Use the words: speaking and writing tasks
- Describe three people you know well, a friend, a family member and a colleague or teacher, with two positive adjectives and one softened negative one each: She's kind and funny, but a bit impatient.
- Write five sentences about your own personality for a job interview, using words like hard-working, reliable, organized and determined. See job interview phrases.
- Make a list of eight opposite pairs, like patient and impatient or shy and outgoing, and say each pair out loud.
- Think of a famous film or book character and describe what they are like, with an example of something they do for each adjective.
- Answer these questions out loud: What are you like when you are tired? What is your best friend like? What kind of person do you get on well with?
Common mistakes
How is your new teacher like?
What is your new teacher like?
The question about personality is What is someone like? How is she? asks about health or how she feels today.
She cries at every sad film. She's very sensible.
She cries at every sad film. She's very sensitive.
Sensible means practical and reasonable. Sensitive means easily upset or good at understanding feelings.
My boss gets angry about everything. He's very nervous.
My boss gets angry about everything. He's very bad-tempered.
Nervous means worried or anxious, as before an exam. For someone who gets angry easily, use bad-tempered, short-tempered or grumpy.
Everyone likes him. He's very sympathetic.
Everyone likes him. He's very likeable.
Sympathetic means showing you understand someone's problems. For a pleasant person that people like, say likeable, nice or charming.
The party was very funny. We danced all night.
The party was a lot of fun. We danced all night.
Funny means it makes you laugh. For something enjoyable, use fun: a fun party, We had fun.
Practice quiz
10 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
1. A: What's your brother ___? B: He's quiet but very kind.
2. She never tells lies. She's very ___.
3. What is the opposite of shy?
4. He always tells everyone what to do. He's so ___.
5. Choose the correct sentence.
6. Which is the most polite way to describe a lazy colleague?
7. My grandmother gives money to everyone in the family. She's very ___.
8. Which word is the positive version of stubborn?
9. My neighbor always asks about my private life. She's very ___.
10. He makes everyone laugh. He's really ___.
0 of 10 answered
Show all answers
- like
- honest
- outgoing
- bossy
- Wearing a coat in winter is sensible.
- He's not very hard-working.
- generous
- determined
- nosy
- funny
See what the A2 English course covers, or test your level first.
People also ask
What are the most common personality adjectives in English?+
Some of the most useful are friendly, kind, funny, honest, polite, shy, lazy, rude, patient and generous. Learn them with their opposites, like patient and impatient, so you can describe both sides of a person.
What is the difference between What is he like? and What does he like?+
What is he like? asks about his personality: He's friendly and funny. What does he like? asks about the things he enjoys: He likes football and pizza. In the first one, like is a preposition; in the second, it is a verb.
What personality adjectives are good for a job interview?+
Choose words that match the job and give an example for each: hard-working, reliable, organized, creative, determined or a good team player. Saying I'm reliable. I've never missed a deadline is much stronger than a list of adjectives.
How can I describe negative traits politely?+
Soften the word with a bit, a little or slightly: He's a bit stubborn. Or use not very with the positive opposite: She's not very patient. You can also choose the positive version of the trait, like determined instead of stubborn.
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Social style and how people work
These words are neither good nor bad. They describe how people act with others and how they do things. Shy and quiet people are not unfriendly; they just need more time.
shy
⁄ʃaɪ⁄ · adjective
A2nervous and uncomfortable with people you do not know
She was shy at first, but now she talks to everyone.
quiet
⁄ˈkwaɪət⁄ · adjective
A1not talking very much
Ali is quiet in class, but he's very funny at home.
reserved
⁄rɪˈzɝːvd⁄ · adjective
B2not showing your feelings or talking about yourself easily
My boss is quite reserved, so it's hard to know what she thinks.
outgoing
⁄ˈaʊtˌɡoʊɪŋ⁄ · adjective
B1friendly and happy to meet and talk to new people
He's very outgoing and makes friends everywhere.
talkative
⁄ˈtɔːkətɪv⁄ · adjective
B1liking to talk a lot
The taxi driver was very talkative.
sociable
⁄ˈsoʊʃəbəl⁄ · adjective
B2enjoying spending time with other people
I'm not very sociable. I prefer small groups.
calm
⁄kɑːm⁄ · adjective
A2relaxed and not worried, angry or excited; the l is silent
She stayed calm when the fire alarm went off.
serious
⁄ˈsɪriəs⁄ · adjective
A2thoughtful and not joking or laughing much
He looks serious, but he has a great sense of humor.
creative
⁄kriˈeɪtɪv⁄ · adjective
A2good at thinking of new ideas or making things
My daughter is very creative. She draws and writes stories.
curious
⁄ˈkjʊriəs⁄ · adjective
B1wanting to know or learn about things
Children are naturally curious about the world.
ambitious
⁄æmˈbɪʃəs⁄ · adjective
B1wanting very much to be successful, rich or important
She's ambitious. She wants to run her own company.
organized
⁄ˈɔːrɡənaɪzd⁄ · adjective
B1good at planning and keeping things in order; British spelling organised
I'm not very organized. My desk is always messy.