Adjectives that describe people

Adjectives that Describe People and Personality

Here you will learn 33 English adjectives that describe people and personality.

I help you learn English words that describe people.

In my video lesson, there are 12 adjectives to describe people, with meanings and English pronunciation. This lesson is great for advanced English language learners who want to improve their speaking and writing skills and sound like native speakers.

Particularly useful for English proficiency exams like FCE, IELTS, CAE, etc.

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Adjectives that Describe People and Personality

What type of person are you? Are you sensible and calm in a crisis?

Perhaps you are sociable and enjoy going out with friends and family.

How would your friends and colleagues describe your personality?

There are many adjectives that describe people and personalities in the English language. Some of them you can use to describe positive personality qualities, these are called positive adjectives. There are also adjectives that describe people in a negative way, so-called negative adjectives. Let’s have a closer look.

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English Adjectives that Describe People

Cathy works as a carer in a home for elderly people. She needs to be patient with the old people she looks after. She must be hard-working, because she has long shifts with only a short break and her duties include lifting and carrying. Cathy is always calm under pressure and can be relied on in an emergency. Cathy’s boss David says she is the ideal person for her job and a great team member.

Steve teaches maths in a secondary school. He is confident about working with large groups of teenagers. Steve is intelligent and able to explain maths in a way his pupils can understand. He is sociable and enjoys organising the end of term party for the other teachers. Steve’s colleagues like having him around.

Rob enjoys swimming and belongs to a local club. He is the fastest swimmer in his county for backstroke. Rob is very competitive and always likes to win at whatever sport he plays. He hopes to get a place in the national swimming team and represent his country at the next championships. Rob’s coach says he always turns up for training sessions and is very reliable.

Lisa is a hairdresser who owns her own business. She is charming to her customers and enjoys helping them to look their best. People like coming to her salon to get their hair cut, because Lisa is a sociable person who loves her work.

Top 100 Useful Adjectives To Describe A Person in English

Adjectives are very important in the world that we live in today, it’s a way we get to describe the things and people around us, even ourselves and you may agree that adjectives can even become quite handy in serious situations. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s easy to find the right adjective in every situation. There’s nothing more embarrassing than to have all eyes on you, waiting for you to describe someone and your mind just goes completely blank and you end up saying the wrong thing that has nothing to do with that person.

But don’t worry because here I am going to share with you the top 100 adjectives to describe a person, from hair to nationality.

Table of Contents

Adjectives to Describe a Person

Personality Adjectives To Describe A Person

When it comes to describing someone’s personality, keep in mind that you are describing their characteristics as a whole and not their appearance. You are describing who they are as a person and what makes them… them!

1. Wise

Having a lot of knowledge, usually based on experience, common sense, or good judgment.

His wise father knows how to handle him.

2. Chatty

Being extremely talkative, able to talk about anything for HOURS.

They are uniformly polite, chatty and cheerful with visitors.

3. Hard-Working

Working really hard for long periods of time, not giving up easily.

-> I remember her as a quiet, hard-working and well-spoken girl.

4. Quiet

Keeping to oneself, not creating any attention towards themselves.

-> He has a cheerful but quiet character.

5. Mean

Being unkind and unpleasant to others.

-> That was a mean and dirty thing to do!

6. Friendly

Being kind and pleasant to others.

-> I think she’s very friendly.

7. Generous

Doing things for others without much thought, such as sharing.

-> He is very generous — he often buys things for other people.

8. Funny

Making everyone around them laugh without much effort, having a great sense of humour.

-> He’s so funny he always makes me laugh.

9. Clever

Being very intelligent and having the ability to learn faster than average.

-> He is not clever, but at all events, he works well.

10. Easy-Going

Being very relaxed and being able to tolerate everything and everyone around them

-> You were always so relaxed and easy-going. It was one of the things I liked about you.

11. Grumpy

Often being in a bad mood and not having much patience for anything or anyone.

-> She understands why I get tired and grumpy.

12. Honest

Being open and truthful, never or rarely ever lies.

-> Do you like my dress? Please be honest!

13. Lazy

Never having any energy to do anything, prefers to do nothing most of the time.

-> He’s poor because he’s lazy.

14. Moody

Being in an unpredictably bad mood often.

-> He’s so moody – I don’t know why she puts up with him.

15. Popular

Someone who is easy to like, admired by many people.

-> Jeans are popular among the young.

16. Loud

Making a lot of noise regardless of the situation, most of the time without realising.

-> The teacher’s voice is very loud; we can all hear it.

17. Tidy

Always having everything of theirs organised, from objects to their day.

-> I’m a tidy person.

18. Serious

Very mature, never really plays or jokes around.

-> What’s up – why does everyone look so serious?

19. Vain

Being somewhat obsessed with themselves, from looks to abilities.

-> She’s very vain about her good looks.

20. Lucky

Often having good things happen to them, with little to no effort.

-> You’re lucky enough to be different, never change.

How to Describe a Person in English: Top 100 Adjectives!

Style | Adjectives To Describe A Person

In this category, we’re going to focus on the way they present themselves. How they prefer to dress.

1. Comfortable

Wearing clothes that they can easily move around in and do anything with.

-> They are lustrous in colour, supple, light, warm and comfortable to wear.

2. Timeless

Having a style that doesn’t take much time, either everything they own matches or little thought is put into it.

-> Instead, three-piece dressing is all about creating movement in clothing, an essential component of timeless style, according to Gayla Bentley.

3. Trendy

Their styles often change to fit modern trends.

-> He had a trendy haircut, an earring and designer stubble.

4. Figure-Hugging

Their clothes fit them perfectly, showing their figure.

-> She slipped on a figure-hugging black dress and adorned the outfit with a bold selection of costume jewellery.

5. Professional

They look like they may be attending an important meeting constantly.

-> A lawyer is a professional man.

6. Bold

With their style, they easily stand out from the crowd.

-> He was a bold and defiant little boy.

7. Girly

Often wearing pink clothes, skirts, dresses. Very feminine.

-> Now, just because it may be a little bit of a feminine color doesn’t mean you’re all girly and whiney.

8. Sexy

Provocative and daring.

-> You look very sexy in that dress.

9. Confident

They may wear things that most people are too scared to try.

-> The awkward boy I knew had metamorphosed into a tall, confident man.

10. Unique

Their style is like no one you’ve ever seen before.

-> His style of singing is rather unique.

11. Simple

Their style doesn’t consist of many different types of clothes or colours.

-> They wear simple clothes and shun modern contrivances.

12. Spirited

Their style just represents them perfectly.

-> She’s so spunky and spirited.

13. Gothic

Most of their clothing consists of dark colours and somewhat edgy.

-> This shirt has the Medusa bandito style surrounded by a gothic style circle.

14. Casual

Usually just a shirt and some jeans for people with a casual style.

-> He was wearing casual clothes.

15. Well Put Together

Their clothes are always ironed perfectly and each item fits incredibly well with each other.

-> Now, you don’t have to put on a three-piece suit every day, but looking well put together and carrying yourself with confidence will arouse her vision, which may serve to arouse the rest of her.

16. Classy

Their style makes them look like very important people.

-> They didn’t cost a great deal, but they do look quite classy in a boozy sort of way.

17. Cute

Their style is super adorable and somewhat childlike.

-> The baby’s so cute.

18. Old-Fashioned

Almost like they’re from a different time.

-> She wears really old-fashioned clothes!

19. Chic

This style is a mixture of smart, elegance and sophisticated. But still super modern.

-> I like your haircut – it’s very chic.

20. Edgy

They take their style to the next level, from dark colours to chains and leather jackets.

-> Rahmi walked by at exactly ten-thirty, wearing a pink Lacoste shirt and immaculately pressed tan trousers, looking edgy.

Nationality/Ethnic Background

Here is a list of words to use when describing someone’s roots. Please keep in mind that it’s crucial to use the words listen below correctly in order to avoid offending anyone.

1. Black

Being part of a race of people with dark skin, often with families who were originally from Africa.

-> Many black people emigrated to Britain in the 1950s.

2. Caucasian

A person who is white of colour, often from Europe, North America and Australia.

-> The chief suspect for the robbery is a Caucasian male.

3. Coloured

Someone who has different types of races in their family.

-> Many coloured people live in the slum near Main Street.

4. Dual Heritage

Having parents with different nationalities/ethnicity.

-> He was a young, good-looking kid, a Dual Heritage with nervous eyes and gentle moves.

5. Full-Blooded

Having parents who have the exact same nationality/ethnicity.

-> Her father is a full-blooded Cherokee.

6. Multiracial

Where an individual’s family consists of many different races.

-> These groups initially were Latino or black; increasingly, though, they are multiracial.

7. Of Colour

For anyone who is not white.

-> I’m the only person of colour in my class.

8. Asian

Being from Asia or having a family who were originally from Asia.

-> Dr Amid was assisted by a young Asian nurse.

9. Diverse

Having many different nationalities/ethnicity’s in their family.

-> New York is a very culturally/ethnically diverse city.

10. Native

Being associated with the place you were born, regardless you live there or not.

-> She returned to live and work in her native Japan.

11. European

Being from any country located in Europe.

-> European leaders watched events unfold with increasing alarm.

12. Common

Someone who has a nationality or ethnicity that is very common in the area you live in.

-> Jackson is a common English name.

13. Ambiguous

Being mixed and/or unclear with their nationality/ethnicity.

-> Where Tudor is economical, organic and disciplined, Stevenson is fussy, distracted and ambiguous.

14. Minority

Being part of a group that is considered a minority to society.

-> People from these minority groups must have equality of opportunity.

15. Hispanic

Being related to countries involving Spanish culture and Spanish and/or Portuguese language.

-> The candidate said that he understood the heartbeat of the Hispanic community in California.

16. Latin

Being related to countries in Latin America.

-> Thousands of English words derive from Latin.

17. Religious

Someone who believes or relates to religion.

-> All members of the religious community keep these fasts.

18. Atheist

People who aren’t religious and/or don’t believe in religion.

-> She was an atheist but now she says she’s seen the light.

19. American

Being from the United States of America.

-> Our American friends are touring Europe.

20. Immigrant

Living in a country where you weren’t born in.

-> The company was fined for the exploitation of its immigrant workers.

Physical Appearance

When it comes to physical appearance, you are simply just describing what you see. Their hair, height, shape.

1. Tall

Someone who’s height exceeds the average.

-> She is as tall as her mother.

2. Short

Someone who’s height is below average.

-> He is a tall man but his wife is a short woman.

3. Skinny

Someone who’s weight is below average.

-> You should eat more, you’re much too skinny.

4. Slim

Someone who’s weight is considered average and healthy.

-> You’re looking slim. Have you lost weight?

5. Overweight

Someone who’s weight is considered over the healthy recommendation.

-> He was short and overweight and generally fairly unattractive.

6. Bald

Someone who has no hair whatsoever, either by choice or genes or life experiences.

-> Brian’s bald head glistened in the blazing sun.

7. Straight Hair

Someone with perfectly straight hair, often very thin.

-> She was a plain girl, with straight hair and thin limbs and a mathematical turn of mind.

8. Wavy Hair

Someone with some shape in their hair, almost curly but not quite.

-> His wavy hair was too long and flopped just beneath his brow.

9. Curly Hair

Someone with curly hair, their curls often take up an oval shape.

-> If you have long curly hair, don’t shave it off.

10. Kinky Hair

Someone with extremely curly hair often takes up the shape of an Afro.

-> She had black kinky hair that she experimented with a lot.

11. Thick

This word is often used to describe someone who has a lot of hair, most often dark. But nowadays it has also become a popular term for people who has some curves in their body.

-> Her thick, black hair shone with lustre.

12. Thin

This word is also often used to describe someone who may not have a lot of hair, but once again it is also now commonly used to describe someone who is skinny.

-> She’s tall and thin with light brown hair.

13. Hourglass

Someone who’s waist goes inwards and is smaller than the top and bottom of their body, creating an hourglass shape.

-> Strong core muscles are important for good posture, a healthy back and the feminine hourglass shape.

14. Baby-Faced

Someone who still remains with some of their baby-like features, such as big eyes and small face.

-> I looked up to see a cute, baby-faced boy, his pale blond hair carefully gelled into orderly spikes, smiling at me in a friendly way.

15. Dimpled

Someone who has a dent on each side of their cheek, often noticeable when they smile.

-> Her dimpled cheeks accentuated her smile.

16. Fresh-Faced

Someone who looks ready for the day and perhaps even have a natural glow.

-> A fresh-faced young girl burbled out her news.

17. Full-Faced

Someone who appears to have a chubby face, especially on the cheek area.

-> Her giant picture shows her to be a full-faced woman with her hair gleaming unnaturally.

18. Inverted Triangle

This word is suitable for both the body shape and the face shape, for when the top of their face/body is significantly larger than the bottom part.

-> His nose is a triangle and his mouth is a rectangle.

19. Oval

This word is also suitable for both the body and the face, where the top and bottom are similar in width but the middle is slightly larger.

-> Her oval face with its large dark eyes and high forehead was set on a long, graceful neck.

20. Shiny

Someone who’s hair just shines perfectly under the light, often a sign of health.

-> He puts grease on his hair to make it shiny.

Characteristics and Traits

This category is quite similar to the first one, however, here you’re not describing their whole personality. You are simply just describing the little thing about their personality.

1. Brave

Someone who just isn’t scared of taking risks.

-> I think you’re very brave.

2. Stubborn

No matter what, they just never seem to budge on their opinions.

-> He’s a stubborn old man.

3. Loyal

You know you can always count on them and they will never let you down.

-> She’s very loyal to her friends.

4. Gullible

It’s extremely easy to trick them since they tend to believe anything they hear or see.

-> Bill’s so gullible that you could sell him anything.

5. Selfish

They don’t like to share and often put their needs before others.

-> I think I’ve been very selfish. I’ve been mainly concerned with myself.

6. Self-Confident

They are extremely confident about themselves and know their own worth.

-> I eventually became more self-confident as a public speaker.

7. Respectful

They have a lot of respect and consideration for those around them.

-> He was very respectful at home and obedient to his parents.

8. Creative

They are extremely imaginative and artful.

-> She’s very creative and always coming up with new ideas.

9. Independent

They don’t rely on anyone because they got it all on their own.

-> Although she is young, she is very independent.

10. Carefree

They don’t care much about anything that isn’t important, especially the opinions of others.

-> He looked happy and carefree.

11. Mischievous

They tend to be quite rebellious and often play around a little too much.

-> You’d speak to your little son; he’s too mischievous.

12. Daring

They tend to do what most are too afraid to.

-> He had grown more daring.

13. Successful

Whatever they try to succeed in, they always somehow always do.

-> I didn’t expect him to become a successful writer.

14. Cautious

They like to know the outcome before doing anything.

-> He was cautious when he was riding the bicycle.

15. Leader

They’re not afraid to lead others.

-> She’s a born leader.

16. Bossy

They tend to often tell others what to do continuously, which can become quite annoying at times.

-> She’s terribly bossy and nobody likes her much.

17. Loving

They just have a lot of love and affection to share with everyone.

-> She was a warm and loving mother.

18. Mysterious

Often keeping to themselves and standing out from those around them.

-> Helen’s being very mysterious about her plans.

19. Hopeful

They never give up faith that it will all be okay, very optimistic.

-> I am hopeful that she will come tomorrow.

20. Curious

They want to learn about and investigate everything that catches their attention.

-> I was curious to know what would happen next.

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Top 100 Adjectives to Describe a Person

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Here is a list of English words that are often used to describe someone’s personality.

Example sentence: Mario is a coastguard. He is very brave. His job is to rescue people.

Example sentence: Maria is a very chatty person. She is always on the phone to friends.

Example sentence: Gerard is very clever. He always gets top marks in class.

Example sentence: Sylvia is a bit of a coward. She really hates going to the dentist!

Example sentence: My husband is very easy-going.

Example sentence: The people in my office are really friendly! I love working there!

Example sentence: Salem is really funny! He’s always entertaining us with jokes and stories.

Example sentence: My parents are very generous. They bought me a car for my birthday!

Example sentence: My boss is really grumpy. He isn’t an easy person to get along with.

Example sentence: My brother is very hard-working. He hardly ever takes a day off.

Example sentence: Amina is a very honest. She always tells the truth.

Example sentence: Most of the people I’ve met here have been kind.

Example sentence: Pete is very lazy. He rarely gets out of bed before mid-afternoon.

Example sentence: Rosita is really loud! When she talks, she drowns everybody else out.

Example sentence: My brother is very lucky. He’s always winning prizes in competitions.

Example sentence: Phillip is very mean. He never pays for his share of things.

Example sentence: Nina is very moody. Yesterday she said hello; today she just ignored me.

Example sentence: I don’t really know any nasty people. Most people I know are very nice.

Example sentence: My flatmate Jorge is very neat and well organised. His room is always tidy.

Example sentence: Anna is a very nervous person. She gets scared easily.

Example sentence: My best friend Lin is a really nice person. She is always there for me.

Example sentence: Abdullah is a very polite boy. He always says please and thank you.

Example sentence: My cousin Ali is very popular. He has a lot of friends.

Example sentence: Helen is a quiet person. She isn’t very talkative.

Example sentence: James is a very rude person. He always pushes in front of people in queues.

Example sentence: Jeremy is very selfish. He never helps out with the housework.

Example sentence: Eric is very serious person. He never joins in when we play silly games.

Example sentence: Claire is very shy. She doesn’t speak much in class.

Example sentence: Gina is a bit silly. She messes about in class when she should be working.

Example sentence: Anna is very smart. She is always neatly dressed.

Example sentence: Chia is very smart. She is one of the most intelligent people I know.

Be careful when using this word! Using neutral adjectives to describe people is much safer.

Example sentence: My sister is a very tidy person. I’m the opposite; I’m really untidy!

Example sentence: Sabrina is very unlucky. Things always seem to go wrong for her.

Example sentence: I’m a very messy person. I always forget to put things away!

Example sentence: Paulina is really vain. She spends far too much time looking in the mirror!

Example sentence: My grandfather was a very wise man. He taught me many things.

Important note:

Take care using negative adjectives, as some people may be very offended if you use these words to describe them! In most situations it is much safer to use a neutral adjective if you can’t think of anything positive to say about someone.

A list of Useful Words to Describe Someone’s Personality

Example sentence: My boyfriend is very affectionate.

Example sentence: I don’t like aggressive people. I like people who are relaxed and calm.

Example sentence: Tushar is very ambitious. He is hoping to be promoted soon.

Example sentences: Trish is a very anxious person. She worries far too much about things.

Example sentence: Jennifer is very artistic. She is really good at drawing.

Example sentence: My Uncle is really bad-tempered. He is always shouting at my aunt.

Example sentence: Simon is a bit big-headed. He thinks more of himself than others do.

Example sentence: Ann is a bit boring. She never has anything interesting to say.

Example sentence: My gran is a bit bossy. She’s always ordering my poor grandad about.

Example sentence: Barack Obama is a very charismatic politician.

Example sentence: Mona is very creative. She is always coming up with new ideas.

Example sentence: Abdul is a fireman. He is very courageous. He rescues people from fires.

Example sentence: Ruth is very dependable. She always keeps her promises.

Example sentences: Sam can be bit devious at times. I wouldn’t trust him.

Be careful when using this word! Using neutral adjectives to describe people is much safer.

Example sentence: Dave is very extroverted. He’s always the life and soul of the party!

Example sentence: Simon is a bit egotistical. He tends to look down on people.

Example sentence: Tina is very gregarious. She has lots of friends.

Example sentence: Luca can be a bit impulsive. He doesn’t always think before he acts.

Example sentence: Steven Hawking was a very intelligent man.

Example sentence: Mira is quite introverted. She doesn’t really enjoy parties.

Example sentence: Sergio is very industrious. He works really hard at his job.

Example sentence: I’m in a joyful mood today. Life is good at the moment.

Example sentence: Jerry is very reliable. You can always depend on him to keep his promises.

Example sentence: Donata is very sociable. She has a lot of friends.

Example sentence: Will is a very sympathetic person. He’s also a really good listener.

Example sentence: Julie is very talkative. She’s always on the phone, chatting to friends.

Important note:

Take care using negative adjectives, as some people may be very offended if you use these words to describe them! In most situations it is much safer to use a neutral adjective if you can’t think of anything positive to say about someone.

300+ List of adjectives to describe People or a Person

List of adjectives to describe people Pdf! To describe a person positively or negatively. You can download the printable list of adjectives.

What is an Adjective in English?

Adjectives are the words that are used to describe or modify a noun or a pronoun. Adjectives can limit the meaning of a noun and a pronoun. The adjective is a part of speech that describes the quality of a noun or a pronoun.

What adjectives can describe a person?

Here is the list of some good adjectives that can describe a person.

Silly, Lucky, Disloyal, Morbid, Sensible, Foolish, Neutral, Funny, Smooth, Resourceful, Mature, Understanding, Impressionable, Frank, Sympathetic, Defensive, Joyful, Plucky, Sarcastic, Forceful, Unyielding, Amicable, Passionate, Humorless, Powerful

List of adjectives to Describe People

What are good adjectives to describe a person? Some common adjectives to describe a person are boring, bossy, brave, honest, handsome, clever etc.

Infographics (Adjectives Describing Person)

Download PDF

You download the pdf of the list of adjectives to describe people positively or negatively.