The personality, feelings, thoughts and appearance of a person can be described using numerous adjectives. There are varied adjectives to describe a person beyond the common ones like ‘good’ or ‘bad’, ‘beautiful’ or ‘wicked’.
According to a study undertaken by Oxford Online (in association with the Oxford English Dictionary), good, new, first, last, long are the five most common adjectives found in written as well as printed material all over the world.
Although termed as a ‘funny and difficult’ language, English is a widely spoken language. English grammar is broadly made up of 8 parts of speech; adjectives being one of them. In simplest terms, adjectives can be defined as words that describe nouns or tell us more about nouns.
When describing a person, both, positive as well as negative adjectives are used by people. However, whether the adjective is positive or negative is subjective and depends entirely on the speaker and the situation. In the actual language, the adjectives list can be nearly endless. But, here is a collection of some of the widely-used adjectives to describe people.
Adjectives Describing a Person’s…
… Feelings
• Anxious • Afraid • Angry • Bored • Confused • Comfortable • Clueless • Creepy • Curious • Cynical • Disturbed • Deceitful • Depressed • Emotional • Envious • Enthusiastic • Fantastic • Grumpy • Happy • Horrible • Hungry • Insane • Jovial • Kind • Kinky • Lively • Miserable • Mature • Nurturing • Nice • Needy • Passionate • Peaceful • Proud • Respectful • Relaxed• Silly • Sore • Sorrowful • Somber • Shallow • Tolerant • Tired • Unwell • Unhappy • Vicious • Wicked • Zestful •
… Personality
• Ambitious • Aggressive • Adaptable • Brave • Biased • Bubbly • Cruel • Cowardly • Decorous • Dangerous • Determined • Evil • Easygoing • Friendly • Frank • Fearless • Generous • Gregarious • Harmonious • Headstrong • Helpful • Hesitant • Intelligent • Impulsive • Jealous • Keen • Knowing • Lazy • Lonely • Merciful • Naïve • Naughty • Placid • Practical • Pleasing • Punctual • Reckless • Sensitive • Talented • Truculent • Unkind • Unbiased • Virtuous • Wise • Witty • Warm • Zany •
… Appearance
• Affable • Adorable • Alluring • Boring • Bewildered • Clumsy • Charismatic • Cultured • Creep • Dazzling • Debonair • Dull • Dynamic • Enchanting • Elegant • Energetic • Fabulous • Filthy • Glum • Gentle • Honorable • Homely • Interesting • Jocund • Jolly • Klutzy • Kiddish • Loud • Lovely • Modest • Nerdy • Pretty • Pleasant • Sassy • Smart • Smiling • Splendid • Shy • Timid • Thoughtful • Tough • Tense • Unpleasant • Unassuming • Wild • Wonderful • Worried • Young • Zaftig •
Some of the most commonly used positive adjectives are ambitious, brave, cheerful, delightful, encouraging, faithful, generous, helpful, perfect, and thoughtful. While, on the other hand, frequently used negative adjectives are arrogant, cowardly, depressed, evil, greedy, horrible, jealous, obnoxious, ruthless, and undesirable.
You need to master the rules of English grammar to use words properly during written as well as oral communication. The following are some examples that will help you know more about the usage of these adjectives.
- She is a bright student.
- Her drab personality was more discouraging than anything else.
- He was nothing, but a snobbish, old fool.
- His vengeful attitude finally led to his own downfall.
- The helpful professor was more favored than his counterparts.
- She was self-assured, cheerful and very successful.
- His testy nature made him very unpopular among people.
You will also have to master the grammar to learn the language properly. As mentioned above, use of most of the aforementioned words is subjective. Lastly, remember that the choice of words speaks a lot about the speaker. Therefore, use your words wisely. Good luck!