11+ words to describe character and personality

Words for what someone is like as a person: benevolent, audacious, diligent, haughty, tenacious. They describe a person over time rather than in a single moment, which is what separates them from the feelings list. A tenacious person keeps going; a frantic one is only frantic for now.

There are 137 words here: 119 describing words, 2 doing words and 16 naming words. Each has its meaning, an example sentence and similar words. Tap a word for its opposites and a practice question.

Describing words (adjectives)119

acquainted: Knowing someone or something, often only a little.; Are you acquainted with the new family who moved in next door?; Similar: familiar, informed
adamant: Completely sure about something and refusing to be talked out of it.; Gran was adamant that we wear our coats, and no amount of moaning would change her mind.; Similar: firm, stubborn, certain
affable: Friendly, relaxed and easy to talk to.; Our affable bus driver greeted every child by name and always had a joke ready.; Similar: friendly, warm, pleasant
aloof: Distant and not friendly, keeping away from other people.; The new cat stayed aloof for weeks, watching us from the top of the wardrobe.; Similar: distant, cold, reserved
altruistic: Caring about other people's needs more than your own.; It was altruistic of Priya to give up her ticket so her little brother could see the show.; Similar: selfless, kind, giving
amiable: Friendly and pleasant to be around.; The amiable shopkeeper always saved a smile and a story for his customers.; Similar: friendly, kind, cheerful
anonymous: Done by someone whose name is not known.; An anonymous kind stranger left a box of books on the library steps with no name attached.; Similar: unknown, nameless, secret
arrogant: Behaving as if you are better and more important than everyone else.; The arrogant prince refused to queue, insisting he should always go first.; Similar: cocky, proud, boastful
artful: Clever in a sly way, and good at getting what you want.; The artful fox tricked the crow into dropping its cheese.; Similar: crafty, cunning, sly
audacious: Brave in a bold, slightly cheeky way, and daring to do something risky.; It was an audacious plan: sneak past the dragon while it was still awake.; Similar: daring, bold, fearless
avid: Very keen and eager about something you enjoy.; An avid reader, Zara finished three library books every single week.; Similar: keen, eager, devoted
avowed: Openly admitted or declared.; Uncle Tom is an avowed enemy of Brussels sprouts.; Similar: declared, open, sworn
bashful: Shy and easily embarrassed.; Too bashful to join the game, Omar watched from behind the climbing frame.; Similar: shy, timid, quiet
belligerent: Angry and eager to fight or argue.; The belligerent goose hissed and flapped at anyone who came near the pond.; Similar: aggressive, quarrelsome, angry
benevolent: Kind and wanting to do good things for other people.; The benevolent king gave food to every hungry family in the village.; Similar: kind, generous, caring
biased: Unfairly favouring one side over another.; The report was biased and mentioned only the good results.; Similar: prejudiced, one-sided, partial
callous: Cruel and not caring about other people's feelings.; It was callous of the giant to trample the village gardens without a backward glance.; Similar: cruel, heartless, cold
candid: Honest and truthful, saying exactly what you really think.; To be candid, Mia admitted she had not enjoyed the film one bit.; Similar: honest, truthful, open
capable: Able to do something well.; She is perfectly capable of walking to school on her own.; Similar: able, skilled, handy
compassionate: Feeling sorry for others who are hurting and wanting to help them.; The compassionate nurse sat with the frightened boy until his parents arrived.; Similar: kind, caring, gentle
compatible: Able to exist or work well together.; The new printer is not compatible with our old computer.; Similar: suited, well-matched
conceited: Much too proud of yourself and your abilities.; The conceited prince spent hours admiring himself in the mirror.; Similar: vain, arrogant, boastful
consistent: Always behaving or happening in the same way.; She is the most consistent player in the team, good week after week.; Similar: steady, reliable, regular
courageous: Very brave.; The courageous girl waded into the pond to rescue the tangled duckling.; Similar: brave, bold, daring
coy: Shy in a playful way, often pretending to be more shy than you really are.; She gave a coy smile and refused to say who had baked the surprise cake.; Similar: shy, timid, modest
crafty: Clever at getting what you want, often by tricking people.; The crafty fox waited until the farmer's back was turned before slipping into the henhouse.; Similar: sly, sneaky, clever
cunning: Clever at tricking people to get what you want.; The cunning magpie pretended to peck at crumbs, then snatched the shiny ring.; Similar: sly, crafty, sneaky
cynical: Believing that people only do things for selfish reasons.; Too cynical to believe the prize was real, Nadia binned the golden ticket.; Similar: distrustful, suspicious, doubting
devious: Sneaky and dishonest in a clever way.; The devious pirate drew a false map so his crew would dig in the wrong place while he kept the gold.; Similar: sneaky, sly, crafty
dignified: Calm, serious and behaving in a way that earns respect.; Even when the crowd booed, the captain stayed dignified, walking off with her head held high.; Similar: stately, noble
diligent: Working hard and taking care over what you do.; Aisha was so diligent with her homework that she checked every answer twice before handing it in.; Similar: hard-working, careful, thorough
distinguished: Respected and admired, especially for your achievements.; A distinguished scientist opened our new science block.; Similar: respected, renowned, famous
dogged: Refusing to give up, however hard things get.; With dogged effort, Noah practised his spellings every single night until he knew them all.; Similar: determined, stubborn, tireless
earnest: Serious and truly meaning what you say.; In an earnest voice, Rosa promised her teacher she would never forget her homework again.; Similar: serious, honest, keen
eccentric: Behaving in an odd but usually harmless way.; Our eccentric neighbour wears a top hat to walk his cat and sings opera to his tomatoes.; Similar: odd, quirky, strange
eminent: Famous and highly respected.; An eminent scientist visited our school, and even the teachers queued for her autograph.; Similar: famous, noted, great
ferocious: Fierce, wild and violent.; The ferocious tiger bared its teeth and roared so loudly the whole jungle fell silent.; Similar: fierce, savage, brutal
fickle: Changing your mind often about what you like or want.; Fickle Freya wanted ballet lessons on Monday, judo on Tuesday, and had given up both by Friday.; Similar: changeable, flighty, unreliable
fierce: Very aggressive, strong or wild.; The fierce guard dog snarled at the gate, and the postman decided the parcel could wait.; Similar: wild, savage, violent
formidable: So powerful or impressive that it makes people nervous.; The chess champion was a formidable opponent who had not lost a single match in three years.; Similar: mighty, powerful, scary
gallant: Brave, noble and polite.; The gallant knight bowed to the queen, then rode out alone to face the dragon.; Similar: brave, noble, heroic
generous: Happy to give or share with others.; Generous Leah shared her birthday sweets with the whole class, keeping only one for herself.; Similar: giving, charitable, kind
genial: Friendly, kind and cheerful.; The genial shopkeeper greeted every customer with a joke and a smile.; Similar: friendly, kind, warm
genuine: Real and true, not fake.; The expert confirmed the coin was genuine: a real Roman treasure, not a copy.; Similar: real, true, honest
grave: Very serious and important.; The doctor's face turned grave as she studied the X-ray in silence.; Similar: serious, solemn, stern
gregarious: Enjoying the company of other people, or living in groups.; Gregarious Maisie made friends with everyone on the first day of school.; Similar: sociable, friendly, outgoing
gullible: Too ready to believe whatever you are told.; Milo was so gullible that he believed his sister when she said the moon was made of cheese.; Similar: trusting, innocent, naive
hardy: Strong and able to cope with difficult conditions.; The hardy little plant survived the frost that killed everything else in the garden.; Similar: tough, strong, sturdy
haughty: Acting as if you are better than everyone else.; The haughty princess refused to speak to anyone she thought was beneath her.; Similar: snooty, proud, smug
headstrong: Determined to do what you want and refusing to listen.; The headstrong pony ignored every tug on the reins and trotted the way it pleased.; Similar: stubborn, wilful
hearty: Warm, cheerful and full of energy.; Grandpa greeted us with a hearty laugh and a huge hug at the door.; Similar: cheerful, jolly, warm
hospitable: Friendly and welcoming to visitors.; The hospitable farmer gave the lost hikers hot soup and a warm bed for the night.; Similar: welcoming, friendly, kind
humble: Not boasting about how good you are.; Though she won every race, the humble runner said her team deserved the praise.; Similar: modest, unassuming
imperious: Bossy and proud, expecting everyone to obey you.; With an imperious wave of her hand, the queen ordered the servants to kneel.; Similar: bossy, commanding, haughty
impulsive: Doing things suddenly without thinking first.; In an impulsive moment, Leo spent all his pocket money on a giant inflatable shark.; Similar: hasty, rash, sudden
industrious: Working hard and getting lots done.; The industrious ants carried crumbs back and forth until the whole cake had vanished.; Similar: hardworking, busy, active
inept: Very clumsy or bad at doing something.; The inept waiter dropped three plates and poured juice into a customer's lap.; Similar: clumsy, useless, hopeless
insipid: Dull and weak, without any interesting flavour or character.; The soup was so insipid that even a mountain of salt could not save it.; Similar: bland, dull, tasteless
intrepid: Brave and not afraid of danger.; The intrepid explorer crossed the rope bridge without a moment's fear.; Similar: brave, fearless, daring
invincible: So strong that it cannot be beaten.; With ten wins in a row, the team began to feel invincible.; Similar: unbeatable, unstoppable, indestructible
jovial: Cheerful and full of fun.; Our jovial uncle told jokes all through dinner and laughed loudest at his own.; Similar: cheerful, jolly, merry
kindred: Alike in character, or connected like family.; The two inventors were kindred spirits, happiest when tinkering with broken machines.; Similar: similar, alike, related
loyal: Always supporting and standing by a person, team or cause.; The loyal sheepdog stayed by the farmer's side through the whole snowstorm.; Similar: faithful, devoted, true
malicious: Deliberately unkind and wanting to hurt others.; Spreading that malicious rumour was meant to make Zara cry.; Similar: spiteful, mean, nasty
mediocre: Not bad but not good either, just ordinary.; Coach said my performance was mediocre, not terrible but nothing to be proud of either.; Similar: ordinary, average, middling
meek: Quiet, gentle and not standing up for yourself.; The meek new boy said nothing when someone pushed in front of him in the lunch queue.; Similar: timid, gentle, mild
merciful: Kind and forgiving instead of punishing.; The merciful king spared the thief, giving him work in the kitchens instead of prison.; Similar: forgiving, kind, gentle
meticulous: Very careful about every tiny detail.; She was meticulous about her map, marking every rock and river.; Similar: careful, precise, thorough
miserly: Mean with money and hating to spend it.; The miserly old man reused teabags five times rather than buy a new box.; Similar: stingy, mean, tight
modest: Not boasting about your talents or success.; Despite scoring the winning goal, Sam stayed modest and praised his teammates.; Similar: humble, unassuming
mortal: Certain to die one day, like all living things.; In the myths, the gods lived forever, but humans were mortal.; Similar: human, earthly
naive: Believing things too easily because you have not yet learned how tricky people can be.; Jack was so naive that he swapped his cow for a handful of so-called magic beans.; Similar: trusting, innocent, gullible
noted: Well known and respected, especially for a particular skill.; The noted author signed copies of her new book in our library.; Similar: famous, celebrated, well-known
notorious: Famous for something bad.; The notorious pirate was known in every port for stealing ships and breaking promises.; Similar: infamous
objective: Based on facts rather than on personal feelings.; A referee has to stay objective even when the crowd is shouting.; Similar: unbiased, impartial, factual
obstinate: Refusing to change your mind or do what others want, however hard they try.; The obstinate donkey sat down in the middle of the lane and would not move an inch.; Similar: stubborn, headstrong, wilful
odious: So unpleasant that it makes you feel strong dislike.; The witch's odious brew smelled of rotten eggs and old socks, and nobody would taste it.; Similar: hateful, horrid, foul
passive: Letting things happen without trying to act or change them.; Instead of joining in the game, Ted sat on the bench, passive and quiet.; Similar: submissive, idle
petty: Small and unimportant, or mean about little things.; Their petty argument about who pressed the lift button first lasted the whole journey.; Similar: small, minor, silly
placid: Calm and not easily upset or excited.; The placid pony stood perfectly still while the toddlers patted its nose.; Similar: calm, gentle, peaceful
poised: Calm, steady and ready to act.; The cat sat poised on the fence, perfectly still and ready to leap at any moment.; Similar: ready, steady, calm
pompous: Acting too grand and important.; The pompous mayor gave a long speech about how marvellous he was while everyone yawned.; Similar: self-important, arrogant, conceited
prudent: Careful and sensible, thinking ahead before you act.; It was prudent to pack a raincoat, even though the sky looked perfectly clear.; Similar: wise, careful, sensible
quirky: Unusual in an interesting or charming way.; Her quirky umbrella was shaped like a duck, and it quacked every time it opened.; Similar: odd, unusual, strange
renowned: Famous and admired by many people.; The renowned chef travelled the world teaching people to bake perfect bread.; Similar: famous, admired, celebrated
resilient: Able to bounce back quickly after something bad happens.; The resilient team lost the first three matches, then trained harder and won the cup.; Similar: tough, strong, hardy
ruthless: Cruel and showing no pity at all.; The ruthless pirate captain left his own crew stranded on the island.; Similar: cruel, heartless, harsh
savage: Wild and violent.; The savage storm tore branches from the trees and hurled them across the garden.; Similar: fierce, wild, brutal
sincere: Truly meaning what you say or feel, without pretending.; Her apology was so sincere that I forgave her at once.; Similar: honest, true, genuine
sinister: Seeming evil or threatening, as if something bad is about to happen.; A sinister shadow slid across the wall of the abandoned house.; Similar: evil, creepy, scary
sly: Clever at tricking people in a sneaky way.; With a sly grin, the fox waited for the hens to wander closer.; Similar: sneaky, crafty, tricky
smug: Too pleased with yourself in a way that annoys other people.; Priya wore a smug grin after beating the whole class at spelling, again.; Similar: self-satisfied, proud, boastful
sober: Serious and calm, not silly or playful.; The mood at the meeting was sober after the bad news.; Similar: serious, solemn, grave
sprightly: Lively and full of energy, especially for someone old.; Our sprightly grandmother beat us all in the garden race.; Similar: lively, nimble, perky
staunch: Very loyal and firm in your support.; Maya remained a staunch supporter of her team even after they lost five matches in a row.; Similar: loyal, firm, faithful
steadfast: Staying firm and not giving up, no matter what happens.; The lighthouse keeper stayed steadfast at his post all through the storm.; Similar: steady, firm, determined
stern: Strict and serious, expecting to be obeyed.; One stern look from the headteacher and the corridor fell silent.; Similar: strict, firm, harsh
stubborn: Refusing to change your mind, even when you might be wrong.; The stubborn toddler would not change her mind: it was the pirate costume or nothing, whatever Mum said.; Similar: obstinate, headstrong, defiant
tenacious: Holding on and refusing to give up.; The tenacious puppy would not let go of the rope, no matter how hard we pulled.; Similar: determined, stubborn, gritty
tentative: Careful and unsure, as if not quite confident yet.; She took a tentative step onto the ice, ready to grab the rail.; Similar: unsure, hesitant, cautious
testy: Quick to become cross and impatient, especially when bothered.; Dad gets testy when he is stuck in traffic and running late.; Similar: grumpy, irritable, snappy
thrifty: Careful with money and never wasteful.; Thrifty Uncle Joe saved his coins all year and paid for the trip himself.; Similar: economical, sparing, careful
timid: Shy and easily frightened.; The timid mouse peeped out of its hole, then darted back at the tiniest sound.; Similar: shy, nervous, fearful
typical: Happening or behaving in the way you would expect.; A typical school day starts with registration and ends at half past three.; Similar: normal, ordinary, standard
undaunted: Not frightened or discouraged, even when things are difficult.; Undaunted by the pouring rain, the runners lined up for the race.; Similar: fearless, brave, bold
unwavering: Staying steady and never doubting or giving up.; Her unwavering belief in the team never dimmed, even after ten defeats in a row.; Similar: steady, firm, constant
vain: Too proud of how you look or what you can do.; The vain prince paused at every mirror to admire his new crown.; Similar: conceited, proud, boastful
valiant: Very brave, especially when things are difficult.; The valiant knight stood alone on the bridge to face the dragon.; Similar: brave, bold, heroic
venerable: Respected because of great age, wisdom or good character.; The venerable oak tree had stood in the churchyard for five hundred years.; Similar: respected, revered, honoured
versatile: Able to do many different things well.; Our versatile goalkeeper can also play in defence, midfield and even up front.; Similar: adaptable, flexible, all-round
vigilant: Watching carefully for danger or trouble.; The vigilant meerkat stood on its hind legs, scanning the sky for eagles.; Similar: alert, watchful, careful
virtuous: Behaving in a good, honest and moral way.; The virtuous knight returned the lost gold instead of keeping it.; Similar: good, honest, moral
vivacious: Bubbly, lively and full of fun.; Our vivacious drama teacher turns every lesson into a performance.; Similar: lively, bubbly, spirited
vulnerable: Easy to hurt or attack because of being weak or unprotected.; The baby turtles are most vulnerable during their dash from nest to sea.; Similar: exposed, helpless, weak
wily: Clever at tricking people.; The wily old cat waited by the mousehole, pretending to be asleep.; Similar: crafty, sly, sneaky
witty: Clever and funny with words.; Her witty reply made even the grumpy bus driver burst out laughing.; Similar: humorous, clever, funny
worthy: Deserving respect, praise or attention.; The kind nurse was a worthy winner of the Hero of the Year award.; Similar: deserving, admirable, honourable
zany: Funny in a strange, silly way.; The clown's zany dance had the whole tent roaring with laughter.; Similar: silly, wacky, daft
zealous: Full of huge energy and enthusiasm for something.; The zealous new coach had the whole team training before sunrise.; Similar: eager, keen, devoted

Doing words (verbs)2

persevere: To keep trying even when something is difficult.; Lena fell off the bike nine times, but she persevered and rode it perfectly on the tenth.; Similar: persist, continue, try
persist: To keep trying and refuse to give up.; Even after ten wobbly falls, Mia chose to persist until she could ride her bike alone.; Similar: continue, persevere, endure

Naming words (nouns)16

ally: A person, group or country that agrees to help and support you.; In the playground game, Zara was my ally against the other team.; Similar: friend, partner, supporter
bravado: A bold show of courage to hide how scared you really are.; Full of bravado, Max claimed he loved spiders, though his shaking hands said otherwise.; Similar: bluster, pretence
bystander: A person who watches something happen but does not take part.; A curious bystander filmed the runaway shopping trolley as it rolled down the hill.; Similar: onlooker, watcher, witness
candidate: Someone who is trying to be chosen for a job, a prize or a place.; Every candidate for the school council had to give a speech.; Similar: applicant, contender, nominee
comrade: A close friend or companion, especially someone you share hard times with.; The old soldier smiled when he met his wartime comrade again.; Similar: friend, companion, partner
enterprise: The courage and energy to start new and difficult projects.; Opening a lemonade stall in the rain showed real enterprise.; Similar: initiative, ambition, drive
foe: An enemy, someone who is against you.; The knight lowered his lance and charged at his old foe across the muddy field.; Similar: enemy, rival, opponent
idiosyncrasy: A strange habit or way of behaving that is special to one person.; Wearing odd socks every day is Grandad's favourite idiosyncrasy.; Similar: quirk, peculiarity, oddity
idol: Someone who is greatly admired or loved, often a famous person.; The footballer was the idol of every child in the town.; Similar: hero, star, icon
merchant: Someone who buys and sells goods, especially in large amounts.; The merchant sailed to faraway lands to buy silk and spices.; Similar: trader, dealer, seller
outcast: A person who has been rejected and left out by others.; The new pupil felt like an outcast until Maya invited him to join their lunch table.; Similar: outsider, exile, loner
pioneer: Someone who is one of the first to explore a place or try something new.; Amelia Earhart was a pioneer of flying.; Similar: explorer, trailblazer, founder
pluck: The courage to do something scary.; It took real pluck for Rosa to stand on stage and sing in front of the whole school.; Similar: courage, bravery, nerve
rascal: A cheeky person who behaves badly in a playful way.; That little rascal hid Grandpa's slippers in the flowerpot and giggled behind the sofa.; Similar: scamp, imp, troublemaker
rogue: Someone who behaves badly or dishonestly, but is often likeable.; The cheeky rogue sold the tourists a map to treasure that didn't exist.; Similar: rascal, scamp
tyrant: A ruler who uses power in a cruel and unfair way.; The tyrant king seized the farmers' grain and threw anyone who complained into prison.; Similar: dictator, oppressor

11+ words to describe character and personality

Describing words (adjectives)119

Doing words (verbs)2

Naming words (nouns)16

More 11+ word themes