Describing Negative Human Traits: English Vocabulary List

failing to provide enough attention and care

"The parent was neglectful."

"The neglectful parents left their young children alone for hours while they went out with friends and the neighbors eventually called the authorities to report them."

not caring about other people's feelings

"His comment was insensitive."

"His insensitive comment hurt her feelings deeply and he did not even realize why she was upset with him for the rest of the day."

acting without considering the consequences or the feelings of others

"That was a thoughtless act."

"The thoughtless driver cut me off on the highway and nearly caused a serious accident that could have injured several people including children."

not paying enough attention to what we are doing

"The driver was careless."

"The careless waiter spilled hot coffee on the customer's lap and the restaurant manager had to apologize and comp their entire meal for free."

avoiding work or activity and preferring to do as little as possible

"My cat is very lazy."

"The lazy student did not complete his homework and then lied to the teacher about having technical issues with his computer at home."

having a desire to physically or mentally harm someone

"The punishment was cruel."

"The cruel treatment of the animals by the zookeeper caused public outrage and the zoo was forced to fire him immediately after the investigation."

feeling unhappy or resentful because someone has something one wants

"She is envious of my success."

"She was envious of her sister's success but instead of being bitter she used that feeling as motivation to work harder on her own career."

feeling angry and unhappy because someone else has what we want

"He is jealous of his brother."

"He became jealous when his girlfriend spent too much time with her male coworker and their relationship suffered because of his lack of trust."

characterized by strong feelings of dislike and annoyance

"His words were hateful."

"The hateful speech made everyone uncomfortable and many people walked out of the room because they did not want to listen to such negativity."

having or showing a negative view of the future and always waiting for something bad to happen

"Don't be so pessimistic."

"He was pessimistic about the outcome of the election and believed that no matter who won things would not get better for ordinary people."

(of a person) lacking or having no respect or regard for others' feelings or rights

"He is often inconsiderate."

"The inconsiderate neighbor played loud music at three in the morning and woke up everyone in the building who had to work the next day."

displaying unpredictable and sudden changes in emotions and behavior

"His mood is unstable."

"The politician's unstable temperament made him prone to making rash decisions that often caused public outcry."

not caring about the possible results of one's actions that could be dangerous

"His driving is reckless."

"The reckless driver weaved through traffic at high speed, showing no regard for the safety of others."

showing a proud, unpleasant attitude toward others and having an exaggerated sense of self-importance

"He is too arrogant."

"The arrogant CEO refused to listen to his employees suggestions and the company suffered as a result of his poor leadership and bad decisions."

carefully planning actions to benefit oneself, often at the expense of others

"She has a calculating mind."

"The calculating politician pretended to care about the poor but his actions showed that he only cared about getting re elected and gaining power."

distant and uncaring toward other people

"He is unresponsive."

"He was often unresponsive to his friends' calls, preferring to keep to himself and his own thoughts."

lacking structure and struggling to manage tasks and time efficiently

"My desk is disorganized."

"The disorganized student could never find his notes before an exam and this lack of preparation often resulted in lower grades than he was capable of achieving."

unwilling to change one's attitude or opinion despite good reasons to do so

"He is very stubborn."

"The stubborn child refused to eat his vegetables even though his parents explained that they would help him grow strong and healthy like his favorite athlete."

unfriendly or aggressive toward others

"The crowd was hostile."

"The hostile crowd booed the referee after every call and the players had to focus very hard to ignore the noise and play their best game."

lacking purpose or function, and unable to help in any way

"This tool is useless."

"The useless old computer would not even turn on anymore so he finally threw it away after keeping it in the closet for several years."