Describing Negative Human Traits: English Vocabulary List

extremely enthusiastic or obsessed about something

"He is fanatical."

"The fanatical sports fan painted his entire body in the team's colors and screamed at the top of his lungs for the whole game."

talking a great deal, particularly about trivial things

"My aunt is garrulous."

"The garrulous old man talked for hours about his childhood and nobody could get a word in edgewise because he would not stop speaking."

(of a person) not caring about the needs and feelings of no one but one's own

"He is self-centered."

"The self-centered actor only talked about himself during interviews and he never asked the reporters any questions about their own lives or careers."

(of a person) having difficulty making choices or decisions, often due to fear, lack of confidence, or overthinking

"I am indecisive."

"The indecisive shopper stood in the aisle for twenty minutes trying to choose between two similar products while other customers waited impatiently behind her."

unwilling to consider or accept new ideas, perspectives, or opinions

"She is closed-minded."

"The closed-minded manager refused to consider any new ideas from his employees and the company eventually fell behind its competitors as a result."

distrustful of others and skeptical of their intentions

"He is mistrustful."

"The mistrustful old woman never answered the door when strangers knocked because she believed that everyone was trying to steal her money or harm her."

avoiding or resisting work, exertion, or activity

"He is indolent."

"The indolent teenager spent the entire summer vacation lying on the couch watching television instead of looking for a job or helping around the house."

(of a person) not having the necessary ability, knowledge, or skill to do something successfully

"The incompetent worker made mistakes."

"The incompetent surgeon made a terrible mistake during the operation and the patient suffered serious complications that could have been easily avoided."

not open to new ideas, opinions, etc.

"He is narrow-minded."

"The narrow-minded professor refused to accept any theory that challenged his own beliefs and he dismissed his students' questions without even considering them."

showing no mercy or compassion towards others in pursuit of one's goals

"The ruthless leader acted."

"The ruthless dictator imprisoned anyone who criticized his government and the people lived in constant fear of being arrested for speaking their minds."

(of a person) not having trust or confidence in someone or something

"He is distrustful."

"The distrustful cat would not let anyone pet her because she had been abandoned by her previous owners and she did not trust humans anymore."

trying too hard to attract attention or impress others

"She is pretentious."

"The pretentious art critic used complicated words to describe simple paintings and everyone thought he was just trying to sound more intelligent than he actually was."

refusing to accept authority or comply with control

"The unruly children misbehaved."

"The unruly children ran through the museum screaming and touching the exhibits until the security guard asked their parents to take them outside immediately."

taking great pride in one's abilities, appearance, etc.

"He is vain."

"The vain woman spent hours in front of the mirror every morning and she would not leave the house unless her hair and makeup were absolutely perfect."

displaying minimal emotional expression or engagement

"The students are apathetic."

"The apathetic students did not care about the election and most of them did not even bother to show up and cast their votes."

constantly telling others what they should do

"She is bossy."

"The bossy older sister told her younger brother exactly what to do every minute of the day and he was getting very tired of her constant commands."

having doubts about something's truth, validity, or reliability

"I am skeptical."

"The skeptical journalist did not believe the politician's promises and she dug deeper to find evidence that would prove he was lying to the public."

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."