Unappealing Characteristics: English Vocabulary List

feeling jealous of another's advantages, possessions, or experiences that one lacks

"She was green with envy when she saw her friend's new car."

"When my friend showed me her new sports car I was absolutely green with envy and jealous."

used to refer to someone who keeps repeating the same thing in a way that is annoying

"You sound like a broken record."

"My grandfather is like a broken record and tells the same stories about his childhood every time we visit him."

someone who does or says things that prevent others from having a good time

"Stop being such a wet blanket."

"Stop being such a wet blanket and join the party instead of complaining about the music."

a person who is unhappy and keeps complaining a lot

"The misery guts complains constantly."

"The misery guts complains constantly and no one wants to invite him to social events anymore."

a person who can no longer feel any strong emotions, often after experiencing something heartbreaking

"He is empty shell."

"He is just an empty shell after the divorce and shows no emotion about anything."

one's lack of courage to deal with painful or dangerous situations

"The bully has a yellow streak."

"The bully has a yellow streak and runs away when someone actually stands up to him."

easily frightened or discouraged

"This ride is not for the faint of heart."

"This horror movie is not for the faint of heart because it contains very violent and scary scenes."

used to refer to someone who becomes extremely afraid of or nervous about even the smallest things

"My cat is scared of its own shadow."

"Ever since the break-in last year, my grandmother has been frightened of her own shadow and refuses to stay home alone at night."

a person who doubts or refuses to believe anything that is presented to them without evidence or proof

"The doubting Thomas refuses to believe the miracle."

"The doubting Thomas refused to believe the news until he saw the official report himself."

used to refer to someone or something that is extremely quiet and does not make much noise

"She was quiet as a mouse."

"The children were as quiet as a mouse while their mother was on an important phone call in the next room."

used to refer to someone who refuses to talk much or is completely silent

"He sat mute as a fish."

"During the entire meeting, the new intern was as mute as a fish, too nervous to share any ideas or ask a single question."

a person who is extremely worried or upset

"The interview made her a nervous wreck."

"The interview made her a nervous wreck and her hands were shaking the entire time."

a person who is always nervous or stressed and is therefore unable to have a calm and organized life

"The stress of the exam turns him into a basket case."

"After the accident he was a basket case who could not even dress himself without help."

an extremely anxious or nervous person

"She is a bundle of nerves."

"Before the big exam, Tom was a complete bundle of nerves and could barely sit still in his chair."

to be very quiet and show signs of discomfort or anxiety when in public

"He is so timid he would not say boo to a goose."

"My gentle aunt would not say boo to a goose and is afraid of any kind of confrontation or argument."

used to refer to someone or something that shows very little motion or does nothing

"He just sat there like a bump on a log."

"He just sat there like a bump on a log while everyone else helped to clean up after the party."

someone who sits around and watches TV a lot

"He is a couch potato."

"After his knee injury he became a couch potato watching television for hours every day."

a negative attitude or reaction toward something that one desires but cannot have or achieve, often by minimizing its importance or worth

"His criticism is just sour grapes because he didn't win."

"His criticism of the winner was just sour grapes because he had lost the competition."

the feeling of discontent caused by lacking someone else's possessions, accomplishments, etc.

"Jealousy, the green-eyed monster, took over him."

"The green-eyed monster took over when she saw her best friend wearing a more beautiful dress to the party."

to have a tendency to steal from others whenever the opportunity presents itself

"He has sticky fingers at work."

"The police discovered that the new employee had sticky fingers after several items went missing from the office last week."

used to describe a person with no principles or morality

"That liar is lower than a snake's belly."

"The corrupt politician is lower than a snake's belly and would sell his own mother for more power."

a person who shows unwillingness to spend much money

"The penny pincher never tips well."

"The penny pincher never tips well and counts every cent he spends on meals."

lacking good manners

"He is hairy at heel."

"The new employee was hairy at the heel, constantly interrupting meetings and speaking out of turn."

to complain about something that is not worth complaining about

"Don't cry stinking fish."

"The restaurant owner cried stinking fish about his competitors to make his own business look better."