Personality Types

English Vocabulary

Everyone's different and there are many words to describe people - some nice and some not so nice! Here's some vocabulary you can use:

Intelligent: Brainy, Genius, Clever, Bright, Know-it-all (noun), Gifted

• Brian thought he was a genius after he completed the Sunday Crossword.
• My friend at English class always gets every question correct - she's such a know-it-all.

Stupid: Thick, Crazy, Silly, Idiot (noun), Dumb

• "Shut up you dumb idiot!" My teacher yelled when I got the question wrong.
• Some people think that blonde women are a bit stupid.

Funny: Witty, Hilarious, Humorous, Amusing, Comical, Droll

• When James gets drunk he thinks he's hilarious.
• I watched 'The American Office' the other day - Steve Carrell is very amusing.

Dull: Dry, Tedious, Boring, Dreary, Unexciting, Uninteresting

• I really like Bob, but, he's a bit dreary.
• That man is the dullest and most tedious person I have ever met!

Confident: Outgoing, Extroverted, Sure, Certain

• The salesman was very extroverted, and a little pushy.
• Albert became a very sure and certain person after he won his Nobel prize.

Shy: Timid, Reserved, Introverted, Bashful, Inhibited, Withdrawn

• After Albert had his Nobel Prize taken away for copying most of his research from Wikipedia, he became very introverted.
• Sheila's very shy - until she's drunk!

Friendly: Welcoming, Affable, Sociable, Pleasant, Extroverted, Gracious

• The barman was very welcoming towards us, until I told him I don't drink.
• Politicians like to come across as very gracious and pleasant people.

Unfriendly: Mean, Surly, Aloof, Distant, Cold, Frosty

• My Dad was very cold towards my sister's new boyfriend.
• I didn't like him at all. He came across as very aloof.

Hardworking: Diligent, Determined, Meticulous, Thorough

• I like my new colleague; he's very hardworking and careful in his work.
• I hope that our new Health and Safety officer is diligent - three people have died here in the last month!

Lazy: Idle, Sluggish, Slothful, Indolent

• "Fire him," my boss said, "he's too lazy."
• I went into work the other day when I was very hungover. I was a bit sluggish.

Arrogant: Vain, Big-headed, Conceited, Egotistical, Proud, Overconfident

• Apparently Victora Beckham is very conceited.
• Colonel Gaddafi is a cruel and arrogant man.

Humble: Modest, Unassuming, Meek

• After he lost his job twice he became very humble about his abilities.
• I don't think I'm a modest person. In fact, I think I'm amazing.

Cheerful: Optimistic, Happy, Positive, Cheery, Jolly, Fun

• Santa Claus is always so jolly. I wish I could always be that happy.
• I like to be optimistic. My glass is always half full.

Moody: Pessimistic, Unhappy, Grumpy, Glum, Negative, Irritable

• He went to bed late, so he's been really irritable all day.
• I've been a bit glum, as I didn't get the job.

Honest: Truthful, Reliable, Sincere, Frank, Candid, Trustworthy

• The man was very truthful. He gave me my wallet back when I fell over and dropped it in the bar.
• She told me she would ring me back and she did. She's a very reliable person.

Deceitful: Unreliable, Lying, Dishonest, Devious, Untrustworthy

• The devious crook conned me out of $100!
• My ex-girlfriend is very deceitful. I would never trust her again.

How would you describe…

• your mother-in-law?
• your dream date?
• your children?
• your best friend?
• your boss?
• your teacher?

Next Activity

Try our interactive game to practice the different types of personality.

See our lesson about Personality Adjectives & Character Traits - 101 adjectives to describe a person (personality & character)

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