Pretentious, Talkative, Unintelligent and 5 More Topics · English Idioms: Personality

a person who is annoying because they constantly try to show off how clever or knowledgeable they are

"Do not be such a smart-ass."

"Do not be such a smart ass and answer the question without making a sarcastic comment."

someone who is considered the teacher's favorite student and therefore has advantage over others in the classroom

"She is teacher's pet."

"The other students resented him, believing he was the teacher's pet due to his constant volunteering."

used for saying that someone may appear threatening or aggressive, but their actions or behavior are not as harmful or severe as their words

"His bark is worse than his bite."

"My boss shouts a lot, but his bark is worse than his bite because he is actually very kind."

used to describe a person who behaves in a very traditional and morally conservative manner

"She is always so prim and proper."

"The new teacher is very prim and proper and expects all students to follow every single school rule strictly."

someone who is very strict and thinks in a very traditional way

"The neighbor is a Mrs. Grundy."

"The neighbor is a Mrs Grundy who disapproves of everything the young people in the street do."

used to describe someone who continuously talks about what they are planning to do, but they never do or achieve much

"Do not listen to him, he is all talk."

"The politician is all talk and no action when it comes to solving real problems."

a person who tries to gain the approval of important people by the means of flattery, praise, etc.

"The apple polisher compliments the boss."

"The apple polisher compliments the boss constantly and hopes to get a promotion through flattery."

a serious flaw or weakness in one's character that other people are not aware of

"The hero had feet of clay."

"The famous leader had feet of clay and the public was shocked when his secret crimes were finally exposed."

used to describe a person who tends to say things that sound intimidating when in reality they are afraid to take action

"The dog is all bark and no bite."

"The aggressive neighbour is all bark and no bite because he shouts but never actually does anything."

to praise one's own abilities or accomplishments, often in an exaggerated way

"Do not toot your own horn."

"My coworker is always tooting his own horn about his accomplishments which makes everyone dislike him."

an individual who consistently seeks to appear more clever than others in a manner that can be bothersome

"The wise guy made a sarcastic remark."

"The wise guy made a sarcastic remark and the teacher sent him to the principal's office."

an annoying individual who behaves as if they know everything

"The smart aleck answered every question."

"The smart aleck answered every question but his tone was disrespectful and annoyed the teacher."

a person who insists on giving advice about something even though they are not forced to do so

"He is a backseat driver."

"Even though he wasn't driving, he was a constant backseat driver, criticizing every turn."

a person who tries hard to let others know that they always do the right thing and behave well

"My sister is such a goody two shoes."

"My sister is such a goody two shoes that she has never broken a single rule in her life."

to keep talking about a certain subject in length, particularly in a way that bores others

"He went on and on about his car."

"My uncle goes on and on about politics whenever the family gets together for a holiday dinner."

to enjoy having lengthy and non-sensical conversations with people

"He is always running off at the mouth about things he does not know."

"That guy just runs off at the mouth constantly without ever stopping to think about what he says."

to talk to someone for an extended period of time, particularly in a way that annoys them

"He talked my ear off."

"My neighbor talked my ear off about his garden for over an hour yesterday."

to speak in a manner that is lengthy, continuous, and annoying

"The child talked a blue streak."

"The excited child talked a blue streak about his day at school and did not stop for breath."

to be excessively fond of making long conversations, regardless of how annoying that might be for others

"She loves her own voice."

"My uncle loves the sound of his own voice and never lets anyone else speak during family dinners."

someone who shares someone's secrets and private matters with others

"His big mouth got him in trouble."

"His big mouth got him in trouble and he revealed the secret that he promised to keep."

to make others tired by talking too much

"He chewed my ear."

"He'll chew your ear off about his stamp collection if you let him."

to speak to someone who is unwilling to listen for an extended period of time

"She bent my ear."

"My neighbor tends to bend my ear for hours about his gardening woes."

to talk in great length without mentioning anything important or of high value

"He flapped his gums."

"The politician spent an hour at the podium, just flapping his gums about vague promises."

to continuously talk, particularly in a way that annoys others

"She could talk the hind leg off a donkey."

"My grandmother could talk the hind leg off a donkey and once told a story for three hours nonstop."

extremely unintelligent or lacking in common sense

"He is dumb as coal bucket."

"That guy is as dumb as a coal bucket because he forgot his keys inside the locked car again."

an individual who often breaks things or makes mistakes in situations that require thoughtful behavior or thinking

"He is like a bull in a china shop."

"The clumsy new waiter was like a bull in a china shop and broke three plates on his first day."

someone who can be easily taken advantage of

"The elderly woman is a soft touch for charity scams."

"The elderly woman is a soft touch for charity scams and gives money to anyone who asks."

an individual who is easily deceived or influenced

"The leader has a nose of wax."

"The weak leader had a nose of wax and changed his opinion depending on whoever spoke to him last."

to be easily fooled due to one's lack of experience or judgment

"I was not born yesterday, you know."

"Do not try to trick me because I was not born yesterday and I know exactly what you are trying to do."

used to describe someone who can be easily taken advantage of because their will is not strong enough

"He is weak as water."

"My brother is as weak as water because he always gives in to what others want."

used to refer to someone who is not paying attention or is not intelligent enough

"Lights are on but nobody is home."

"He stared at the wall without responding so the lights are on but nobody is home."

to be smart or experienced enough to find one's way out of a problematic situation

"He knows enough to come in out of the rain."

"Even a child knows enough to come in out of the rain so why are you standing there?"

to be very foolish or stupid

"You have rocks in your head if you believe that."

"You must have rocks in your head if you think that plan is going to work without any problems."

someone whose behavior is marked by foolishness or ignorance

"She acted like dumb bunny."

"Calling yourself a dumb bunny after forgetting such an important appointment is quite amusing."

used to describe someone who shows a great lack of intelligence or good judgment

"She is thick as planks."

"That man is as thick as two short planks because he still cannot understand simple instructions."

used to describe someone who behaves in a very foolish or crazy manner

"He is daft as brush."

"My neighbor is as daft as a brush because he tried to microwave his phone to charge it."

a derogatory expression used to describe a person who relies solely on physical strength or brute force, without demonstrating any intelligence, skill, or strategic thinking

"The fighter is all brawn and no brain."

"The bodyguard is all brawn and no brain and cannot handle any task that requires thinking or problem solving."

(of a person) to have difficulty in understanding or comprehending something quickly or easily

"He is slow on the uptake."

"The new trainee is slow on the uptake and needs to have instructions repeated several times before understanding them properly."

to lack intelligence or rationality

"He does not play full deck."

"That man does not play with a full deck because he believes the moon is made of cheese."

used to describe a very honest and moral person

"He is straight as arrow."

"My uncle is as straight as an arrow and has never told a lie in his entire honest life."

an individual who is characterized by being honest and trustworthy

"He is a straight shooter in business."

"He is a straight shooter in business and clients trust him because he never exaggerates or lies."

a person who is highly respected due to their honesty and humility

"My neighbors are the salt of the earth."

"The farmers in that small village are the salt of the earth and will help anyone in need without expecting anything in return."

used to refer to someone who means every word that they say

"He always keeps his word."

"He always keeps his promises, demonstrating that his word is his bond."

a person who actually gets things done instead of just talking about them

"She is a woman of action."

"He is a true man of action who solves problems quickly instead of just talking about them."

a person who prefers to do things instead of just thinking or talking about them

"He is a man of his word."

"She is a woman of her word who always does what she promises to do."

(especially of someone in military or law enforcement) honest and following the rules without deviation

"He stands straight as a ramrod."

"The officer was as stiff as a ramrod and followed every rule without any deviation."

used to describe someone who can be trusted or depended on

"She is true as steel."

"My best friend is as true as steel and I can always depend on her."

an individual who criticizes others in a firm yet kind manner

"He spoke to me like a Dutch uncle."

"My father acted as a Dutch uncle, offering firm but loving advice about my career choices."

used to describe a very honest and moral person

"He is straight as an arrow."

"Known for his integrity, the politician was widely regarded as being as straight as an arrow."

(especially of someone in military or law enforcement) honest and following the rules without deviation

"He is straight as a ramrod."

"The disciplined soldier stood straight as a ramrod, adhering to every regulation without question."

an exceptionally good or moral person

"She is a goody two shoes."

"Despite her reputation as a goody two shoes, she had a mischievous sense of humor."

used to describe a person who always manages to arrive or get things done at the agreed or proper time

"He arrives regular as clockwork."

"She is as regular as clockwork and always finishes her work on time."

to treat stupid or annoying people with kindness and patience

"She suffers fools gladly."

"The teacher suffers fools gladly and treats every student with kindness and patience."

having good intentions, even if the results are not perfect

"His heart is in the right place."

"Her heart is in the right place, even though her mistakes sometimes cause problems."

to refrain from doing anything that would harm or threaten the life of any person or animal

"He would not hurt a fly."

"She is so gentle and kind that she would never hurt a fly or harm any living creature."

to keep one's talents or abilities hidden from others, particularly due to one's modesty

"Do not hide your light under a bushel."

"The talented young artist hides her light under a bushel and never shows her beautiful paintings to anyone outside her family."

a sympathetic person who tries to help those who are in trouble or in desperate need of help

"A Good Samaritan helped change the tire."

"A Good Samaritan helped change the tire and refused to accept any money for his kindness."

someone who is genuinely a good person

"He is a good egg."

"He is a good egg and always helps his coworkers when they are in a difficult situation."

used to describe someone who is very friendly and sympathetic

"She is sweet as pie."

"The new neighbor is as sweet as pie and always helps everyone on the street."

used to describe someone who is completely innocent and does not have any moral flaws

"She is pure as the driven snow."

"The young girl is as pure as the driven snow and has never done anything wrong."

used to describe a very well-behaved and obedient individual, especially a child

"The kids were good as gold."

"The children were as good as gold while their parents were away at the party."

used to describe an individual who behaves in a very kind and gentle way

"The baby is gentle as a lamb."

"Despite his large size, the dog is as gentle as a lamb and never shows any aggression toward small children."

someone who is much nicer and friendlier than they first appear

"He is a diamond in the rough."

"He seemed grumpy at first, but he turned out to be a diamond in the rough, incredibly kind."

someone who avoids talking much and manages to convey their message in the most concise way possible

"He is a man of few words."

"My grandfather was a man of few words, but everyone respected his quiet wisdom deeply."

a very shy or modest individual who tries not to attract others' attention

"She's a shrinking violet."

"Despite her talent, she remained a shrinking violet, rarely speaking up in group discussions."

used to describe a person who is surprisingly friendly and kind

"She is as nice as pie."

"The new neighbor was as nice as pie and brought us homemade cookies on our very first day here."

used to describe a person who always manages to arrive or get things done at the agreed or proper time

"He is regular as clockwork."

"The punctual employee arrived at the office every morning, as regular as clockwork, at precisely 8:00 AM."

a person who is innocent, kind, and agreeable

"She is sweetness and light."

"Their relationship is not all sweetness and light because they argue about money and housework quite often."

(of a person) not showing pretentious behavior

"She is very down to earth."

"Despite her immense success, the actress remained remarkably down to earth and approachable to her fans."

used to describe a very well-behaved and obedient individual, especially a child

"He is as good as gold."

"Her youngest child has always been as good as gold, never causing any trouble at school."

used to describe a carefree and happy individual

"He is as happy as a cricket."

"The children were as happy as crickets while playing in the sunny park all afternoon long."

an individual who is very energetic and in high spirits

"That new worker is a ball of fire."

"The young entrepreneur is a ball of fire who never stops working on new ideas and exciting projects for the company."

someone who has the mentality and behavior of that of a young person

"My grandmother is young at heart."

"My grandfather is eighty years old but he is still young at heart and loves listening to modern pop music with us."

one's ability to say funny things or be amused by jokes and other things meant to make one laugh

"I like his sense of humor."

"His sense of humor is very dry so not everyone understands when he is making a joke."

a person who likes spending a lot of time in parties

"The party animal stayed out all night."

"The party animal stayed out all night and slept through his morning classes."

(of a person) bursting with energy and in high spirits

"The puppy is full of life."

"The new puppy is full of life and runs around the garden chasing butterflies and leaves for hours every day."

someone who is very socially active and goes to many parties or social events

"The social butterfly knows everyone."

"The social butterfly knows everyone and flits from group to group at every party."

an energetic person at a party or other social events

"He was the life of the party."

"My cousin is always the life of the party because he tells funny stories and makes everyone laugh with his jokes."

(of a person) alert and full of energy and enthusiasm

"She feels as fresh as a daisy."

"After a good night's sleep, he felt as fresh as a daisy and ready to start his new job."

an individual behaving in an energetic or unpredictable manner

"She is a live wire."

"The new intern was a live wire, constantly buzzing with innovative ideas and boundless energy."

full of positive energy and excitement

"The kids are full of beans today."

"The children were full of beans after eating their breakfast and could not sit still for even a minute."

(of a person) alert and full of energy and enthusiasm

"You look fresh as a daisy."

"After a good night's sleep, she woke up feeling as fresh as a daisy and ready for the day."

a type of unfriendly behavior that is meant to show that one is better than other people

"He has his nose in air."

"She walks around with her nose in the air, acting like she is superior to everyone."

a sense of high self-esteem or self-importance that one has

"He got a swelled head."

"After receiving so much praise, the young musician developed a swelled head and became arrogant."

to behave in a way that makes others think one is more important or of higher status than one actually is

"He puts on airs since getting rich."

"Since she inherited some money she has started putting on airs and refuses to speak to her old friends from school."

one's arrogant and pretentious behavior that is meant to prove one's superiority over others

"She gets off her high horse and apologizes."

"She climbed down from her high horse and admitted that she had been wrong about the issue."

used to describe someone who takes too much pride or satisfaction in their achievements

"He is as proud as Lucifer."

"She was as proud as Lucifer when she showed everyone her expensive new car last weekend."

an action that makes one feel more important than others

"His speech was a total ego trip."

"His speech was a total ego trip and he spent the whole time talking about his own achievements."

used to describe someone who has an excessively high opinion of themselves

"He is as proud as a peacock."

"The actor was as proud as a peacock after winning the award for best performance."

used for saying that a person looks extremely satisfied, happy, or proud because of something they have done or achieved

"She looked like the cat that got the canary."

"After winning the competition he smiled like the cat that got the canary and would not stop bragging about his victory."

to fail to achieve success by having too much confidence in one's ability or position

"The politician overplayed his hand."

"The union overplayed its hand by asking for too much and ended up with nothing at all."

behaving in a manner that highlights one's often non-existant superiority over others

"That child is too big for his britches."

"The young apprentice has become too big for his britches and thinks he knows more than the experienced workers."

someone who considers themselves more important than others and often behaves in a very formal and old-fashioned way

"The manager is a stuffed shirt who never cracks a joke."

"The stuffed shirt at the country club looked down on anyone with less money than him."

to boost or satisfy one's sense of self-importance or self-esteem

"She likes to stroke his ego."

"The manager tried to stroke his ego by praising him in front of everyone at the meeting."

to take pride in one's deeds or achievements

"She holds her head up high."

"After winning the competition, she held her head up high and smiled at everyone around her."

to act or behave in a very crazy and uncontrollable manner

"You need your head examined."

"You need to have your head examined if you think walking alone through that dangerous neighbourhood at midnight is a good idea."

completely unaware of what is happening in one's surroundings

"My boss is completely out to lunch."

"The boss is completely out to lunch if he thinks we can finish this project by Friday without any help."

to move clumsily and awkwardly, particularly when one dances

"I have two left feet when dancing."

"No matter how hard he tries he has two left feet and cannot dance without stepping on his partner's toes."

to act in a very clumsy or awkward manner

"He is all thumbs."

"I am all thumbs when it comes to assembling furniture, so I usually ask for help."

to behave in a crazy and uncontrollable manner

"He has a screw loose."

"After the accident, he started acting erratically, and people whispered that he had a screw loose."

a person or thing that does not fit the current situation or position they are in

"He is a square peg in a round hole."

"The creative child felt like a square peg in a round hole at the strict traditional school with rigid rules."

someone or something that is different from other people or things of its kind

"I was the odd one out."

"Everyone at the party was wearing formal clothes so I felt like the odd one out in my jeans and t shirt."

used to describe someone or something that is extremely bizarre and abnormal

"That idea is as queer as Dick's hatband."

"The whole situation was as queer as Dick's hatband and nobody understood what happened."

to behave or think in a way that is completely detached from reality or out of touch with norms of the society

"He is living on another planet."

"My brother is so forgetful that he seems to live on another planet most of the time."

a person who is perceived as being absent-minded or out of touch with reality

"The space cadet forgot the meeting."

"He often seemed like a space cadet, staring out the window and completely missing what was happening around him."