Personal Characteristics: English Vocabulary List

rude and disrespectful, often toward authority or elders

"The child was impudent."

"The child was impudent and talked back to his teacher with a rude and disrespectful tone."

eager or willing to help others

"The staff is accommodating."

"The staff is accommodating and will do their best to meet any special requests from guests."

taking excessive pride in oneself

"She is conceited."

"The conceited actor thought he was better than everyone else and refused to talk to the crew members on the set."

(of interpersonal relations) behaving with friendliness and without disputing

"The divorce was amicable."

"The amicable divorce allowed both parents to remain friends and share custody of their children equally."

showing excessive self-satisfaction in one's accomplishments, possessions, or capabilities

"He is boastful about his wealth."

"He is boastful about his wealth and constantly talks about his expensive car and large house."

working very hard and with careful attention to detail so that everything is done as well as possible

"She is an assiduous student."

"She is an assiduous student who studies every night and never misses a single homework assignment."

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."

exhibiting extreme moral corruption or twisted values, often reflecting profound wickedness

"The criminal is depraved."

"The criminal is depraved and showed no remorse for the terrible things he did to his victims."

tremendously wicked or evil, just like the Devil

"The plan was diabolical."

"The plan was diabolical and involved tricking innocent people into giving him all their money."

showing simplicity, honesty, or innocence and willing to trust others due to a lack of life experience

"Her smile is ingenuous."

"Her smile is ingenuous and shows her pure and honest nature without any hidden motives."

moving, reacting, or functioning more slowly than usual

"The engine is sluggish."

"The sluggish growth of the company's profits has caused concern among investors and management alike."

careful not to make anyone upset or annoyed

"She is tactful."

"The tactful manager found a polite way to tell the employee that his performance needed to improve without hurting his feelings."

showing impressive commitment and enthusiasm for something

"He is a zealous supporter."

"He is a zealous supporter of the team and attends every home game wearing their jersey."

(of a person) not intelligent and unable to comprehend complicated matters

"He is simple-minded."

"He was simple minded but kind hearted and everyone in the village loved him despite his lack of formal education or intellectual sophistication."

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."

thinking only about oneself, not about other people's needs or desires

"He is too egocentric."

"He is too egocentric and only talks about himself without showing any interest in other people."

highly skilled, proficient, or talented in a particular activity or field

"She is adept at painting."

"She is adept at painting and can create beautiful landscapes with just a few brushstrokes."

failing to respect boundaries, doing something despite having no right in doing so

"It was presumptuous of him."

"It was presumptuous of him to assume that he would get the promotion without even applying for it."

(of a person) likely to change their mind or feelings in a senseless manner too frequently

"Her mood is fickle."

"The fickle weather changed from sunny to rainy to snowy in just one single afternoon yesterday."

stubborn and unwilling to change one's behaviors, opinions, views, etc. despite other people's reasoning and persuasion

"The obstinate child refused to eat."

"The obstinate child refused to wear a coat even though it was freezing cold outside."

behaving with politeness and respect

"The staff is courteous."

"It is courteous to say excuse me when you need to pass between people in a crowded room."

showing a tendency to have control over others without taking their emotions into account

"His domineering attitude is tiresome."

"The domineering boss made all the decisions without consulting her employees and nobody dared to question her authority or judgment."

showing kindness and generosity

"The king was a benevolent ruler."

"The benevolent millionaire donated millions of dollars to build schools in poor villages in Africa."

(of a man or his manners) behaving with courtesy and politeness toward women

"He was gallant to her."

"The gallant knight rescued the princess from the dragon and returned her to the castle safely."

(of a system, device, or technique) intricately developed to a high level of complexity

"The device is sophisticated."

"The sophisticated algorithm could analyze vast amounts of data to predict future market trends with remarkable accuracy."

loud, energetic, and hard to control, often in a playful or wild way

"The rambunctious child ran around."

"The rambunctious child ran around the house shouting and knocking over furniture while his parents tried to calm him down."

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."

able to respond or react quickly and cleverly, especially in conversation or situations requiring immediate thought

"She is quick-witted."

"The quick-witted student answered all of the teacher's difficult questions correctly and impressed everyone in the class."

unfriendly or reluctant to socializing

"She seems aloof."

"The aloof cat ignored everyone who tried to pet it and it simply walked away without looking back at the disappointed children."

treating someone cruelly and violently, especially in a physical or psychological way

"He used abusive language."

"He used abusive language and called his coworker terrible names during the argument."

completely lacking moral or honorable purpose or character

"His actions were base."

"The betrayal was a base act, completely devoid of any redeeming qualities or honorable intentions."

lacking courage, typically avoiding difficult or dangerous situations

"His actions were cowardly."

"His actions were cowardly because he ran away instead of facing the consequences of what he had done."

steadily persevering with care, precision, or attention to detail

"She is very diligent."

"The diligent student meticulously reviewed all notes to ensure a thorough understanding of the material."

able to move quickly and easily

"The cat is agile."

"The agile cat jumped from the floor to the top of the bookshelf in a single graceful leap."

(of a person) avoiding emotions and taking logic into account when making decisions

"He is rational."

"She tried to make a rational decision by listing all the pros and cons before choosing which job offer to accept."

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."

acting in accordance with one's conscience and sense of duty

"She is conscientious worker."

"The conscientious student always completed her homework on time and she double checked every answer before submitting her assignments to the teacher."

enjoying causing trouble or playfully misbehaving, often in a harmless way

"The cat is mischievous."

"The cat is mischievous and likes to knock things off the table just to watch them fall."

lacking depth of character, seriousness, mindful thinking, or real understanding

"He has shallow thoughts."

"His shallow understanding of the complex issue prevented him from offering any meaningful solutions."

having refined taste, elegance, and knowledge of complex matters

"She is sophisticated and smart."

"The sophisticated diplomat navigated the complex international negotiations with grace and skill."

experiencing significant emotional instability or anxiety

"She has neurotic habits."

"She has neurotic habits like checking the door lock ten times before she can go to sleep."