Describing Moral Traits: English Vocabulary List

having the ability to understand and share the feelings, emotions, and experiences of others

"She is empathetic."

"The empathetic teacher noticed that one of her students was sad and she quietly asked him if everything was okay at home after class."

acting selflessly for the well-being of others, often prioritizing their needs over one's own

"Her actions are altruistic."

"The altruistic doctor spent his weekends treating poor patients for free because he believed that everyone deserved access to medical care regardless of their situation."

able to be trusted or relied on

"He is trustworthy."

"The trustworthy babysitter always arrived on time and followed all of the parents' instructions so they felt completely at ease leaving their children with her."

able to be trusted to perform consistently well and meet expectations

"My car is reliable."

"My old car is still reliable even after two hundred thousand miles and it has never broken down or left me stranded on the side of the road."

having or showing high moral standards

"She is virtuous."

"The virtuous monk lived a life of prayer and service and he never asked for anything in return for his kindness to the poor villagers."

staying loyal and dedicated to a certain person, idea, group, etc.

"The dog is faithful."

"The faithful dog waited at the train station every day for his owner to return even though the man had died five years ago in a war."

willing to give one's energy and time to something because one believes in it

"She is committed."

"The committed activist protested every weekend for twenty years until the government finally changed the law that she had been fighting against for so long."

(of statements, feelings, beliefs, or behavior) showing what is true and honest, based on one's real opinions or feelings

"Her feelings are sincere."

"His apology seemed sincere and heartfelt so she decided to forgive him and give their friendship another chance despite what had happened between them."

showing kindness and understanding toward others, especially during times of difficulty or suffering

"She is compassionate."

"The compassionate nurse held the hand of the dying patient and spoke to him softly so he would not feel alone in his final moments."

fulfilling one's duties and responsibilities with a sense of loyalty and obedience

"He is a dutiful son."

"The dutiful son visited his elderly mother every day even though the nursing home was far from his house and he had a very busy schedule."

holding opinions or judgments influenced by personal bias rather than objective reasoning

"The judge was prejudiced."

"The prejudiced landlord refused to rent his apartments to people from certain countries and he was eventually sued for violating fair housing laws."

not conforming to accepted moral values

"The movie was indecent."

"The man made an indecent comment to a woman on the street and a bystander called the police to report his disgusting and inappropriate behavior."

lacking in honor, integrity, or moral principles, often bringing shame or disgrace

"The act was dishonorable."

"The soldier received a dishonorable discharge from the army after he was caught stealing supplies and selling them for his own personal profit."

giving an impression that is misleading, false, or deceitful, often leading to misunderstanding or mistaken belief

"The smile was deceptive."

"The company used deceptive advertising to make their products seem more effective than they actually were and many customers felt cheated after buying them."

displaying behavior that hides true intentions or feelings to mislead or trick

"His words were deceitful."

"The deceitful friend lied about where she had been and she pretended to be sick when actually she had gone to a party without inviting anyone else."

not appreciating or acknowledging kindness, often taking things for granted

"You are ungrateful."

"The ungrateful teenager complained about the new phone her parents gave her for her birthday because it was not the expensive model that she had wanted."

(of a person) behaving in a way that is unkind or cruel

"She is mean."

"The mean old man yelled at the children who accidentally kicked their ball into his yard and he refused to give it back to them."