Describing character (Vocabulary, Part II)

Intellectual Ability

-Ability: intelligent          bright          clever         smart        shrewd        able        gifted               talented       brainy

-Lacking ability: stupid        foolish      half-witted       simple       silly        brainless                      daft        dumb        dim

-Clever in a negative way: cunning         crafty       sly


Attitudes towards life

-Looking on either the brigt or the black side of things:     optimistic       pessimistic

-Outward-looking or inward-looking:     extroverted       introverted

-Calm or not calm with regard to attutude to life:     relaxed       tense

-Practical, nit dreamy in approach to life:     sensible        down-to-earth

-Feeling things very intensely:     sensitive


Attitudes towards other people

-Enjoying other's company:     sociable        gregarious

-Disagreeing with others:    quarrelsome        argumentative

-Taking pleasure in others' pain:     cruel        sadistic

-Relaxed in attitude to self and others:      easy-going         even-tempered

-Not polite to others:     impolite       rude       ill-mannered       discourteous

-Telling the truth to others:     honest     trustworthy     reliable     sincere

-Unhappy if others have what one does not have oneself:     jealous     envious




1. Try to guess the meaning of the previous adjectives to describe character.





2. Do you think that the speaker likes or dislikes the people s/he is talking about?

  • Di's very thrifty
  • Molly's quite bossy
  • Sam' very cunny
  • I find Dave down-to-earth
  • Don't you think Jim's ill-mannered?



3. Magazines often publish questionnaries which are supposed to analyse your character for you. Here you have some questions which aims to decide whether a person is like; can you tell the perfect adjective for them?


  • Do you prefer to be in the company pf other people?
  • Look at the picture. Do you think 'my glass is half empty'?
  • Do you find it easy to tell your boss if you feel he or she has treated you badly?
  • Do you always look out of the window if you hear a car draw up?
  • Do you often buy your friends presents for no particular reason?
  • Do you frequently disagree with what other people say?
  • Do you lie awake at night if someone has said something unkind to you?


4. Let's talk or write!
Which adjectives do you think best describe either your own or a friend's charactter? How do you or your friend demonstrate these characteristics?








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