Adjectives of Negative Intellectual Traits · Adjectives: Abstract Attributes

able to achieve what one wants through sly or underhanded means

"The fox is cunning."

"The fox is cunning and used its intelligence to steal eggs from the chicken coop."

having a limited perspective or outlook, often isolated and closed off from new ideas or influences

"Their community is insular."

"Their community is insular and rarely welcomes outsiders or adopts new ideas from other places."

failing to act with the appropriate level of care or attention, often resulting in harm or damage to others

"The driver was negligent."

"The negligent driver caused a serious accident because he was texting on his phone while driving."

believing in irrational or supernatural ideas or practices, often based on luck or omens

"My grandmother is superstitious."

"My grandmother is superstitious and believes that breaking a mirror brings seven years of bad luck."

using clever and usually deceitful methods to achieve what one wants

"The fox is crafty."

"The crafty fox stole the farmer's chickens by digging a hole under the fence and sneaking into the coop at night."

having a tendency to be forgetful, disorganized, or easily distracted

"My scatterbrained friend forgot her keys again."

"My scatterbrained friend forgot her keys three times this week and locked herself out again."

believing things very easily and being easily tricked because of it

"He is gullible."

"The gullible old man gave thousands of dollars to a fake charity because the scammer on the phone sounded very kind and convincing."

showing poor judgment or clumsiness in actions

"He is inept at cooking."

"He is inept at cooking and burns water and sets off the smoke alarm every time he tries."

likely to forget things or having difficulty to remember events

"I am forgetful sometimes."

"The forgetful old man often left his keys in the refrigerator and his glasses on the bookshelf."

willingly obeying rules or doing what other people demand

"The child is compliant."

"The child is compliant and always does what his parents ask without arguing or complaining."

lacking knowledge or understanding in a particular subject or area

"He is illiterate."

"The illiterate man could not read the job application so his daughter helped him fill out the forms and he got the job."

failing to give the needed amount of attention and care toward fulfilling one's obligations

"I was remiss in my duties."

"I was remiss in my duties and forgot to lock the door when I left the office."

taking advantage of opportunities, often with little regard for ethical considerations or the needs of others

"His behavior is opportunistic."

"His behavior is opportunistic and he takes advantage of any situation that benefits him."

(of a person) not having common sense or the ability to understand or learn as fast as others

"That was stupid."

"He realized it was a stupid decision to invest all his savings without doing any research first."

extremely unreasonable or stupid, particularly in a manner that is likely to be dangerous

"That idea is insane."

"The idea of climbing the mountain without any equipment is insane and the ranger warned the hikers not to attempt such a dangerous journey."

extremely foolish or absurd in a way that seems insane

"That is a crazy idea."

"His plan to climb Mount Everest without proper equipment seemed utterly crazy."

lacking intelligence or the ability to think clearly

"That was a dumb mistake."

"That was a dumb mistake and he felt embarrassed when his boss pointed out the error in front of all his coworkers."

lacking experience and wisdom due to being young

"She is naive."

"The naive young woman believed everything the charming stranger told her and she was shocked when he disappeared with all of her savings."

behaving in a crazy or irrational manner

"That idea is nuts."

"That idea is nuts and nobody in their right mind would agree to it."

having or showing excessive or uncontrollable worry or interest in something

"He is obsessed with video games."

"He is obsessed with video games and plays for hours every day without taking breaks."

lacking sophistication, worldly experience, or social refinement

"He is ignorant of danger."

"He was ignorant of the basic safety rules and that lack of knowledge nearly caused a serious accident in the laboratory."

showing firmness in one's opinions and refusing to be swayed or influenced

"She is adamant."

"The adamant child refused to eat his vegetables and his parents finally gave up after an hour of arguing."

unaware or forgetful of something

"He is oblivious to the danger."

"The tourist remained oblivious to the approaching storm, enjoying the beach."

(of an act or statement) causing trouble, harm, or inconvenience

"That was a mischievous prank."

"His mischievous grin suggested he was planning another disruptive, albeit harmless, prank."