Adjectives to Describe Behaviour and Personality

Adjectives to Describe Behaviour and Personality (with Opposites & Examples)

Why do some people seem easy to work with, while others are… let’s say, a challenge? Why do we describe one colleague as responsible and another as careless, one friend as cheerful and another as moody? When we talk about people, behaviour and personality are often more important than appearance. And in English — especially in exams like B2 First (FCE) and C1 Advanced (CAE) — using the right adjectives to describe someone’s behaviour can make your speaking and writing sound much more natural, precise, and advanced. In this lesson, you will learn useful adjective that describe behaviour and personality, with clear meanings and natural examples. These words are perfect for describing people in Speaking Part 2, writing essays, reviews, and stories and talking about colleagues, friends, family, and characters in books or films

Let’s begin.

Energy, confidence & social style

Active ↔ Passive

Active people are energetic and like doing things. Passive people usually accept things without arguing or taking action.

• Pam is very active in the mornings and always starts doing things immediately.
• Mark has a rather passive attitude in relationships and rarely argues or complains.

Bold ↔ Shy

Bold people are confident and not afraid to take risks. Shy people are nervous and uncomfortable with others.

• Sean is a bold mountain climber who loves dangerous challenges.
• Helen was too shy to start a conversation with him.

Outgoing ↔ Reserved

Outgoing people are friendly and socially confident. Reserved people keep their feelings to themselves.

• Luke seems very outgoing, but he’s actually quite sensitive inside.
• Emma described her neighbour as a reserved man who rarely talks about himself.

Extroverted ↔ Introverted

Extroverted people gain energy from being with others. Introverted people prefer calm situations and being alone.

• Paul is naturally extroverted and enjoys meeting new people.
• Toby is quite introverted and doesn’t enjoy being the centre of attention.

Attitude to life & emotions

Anxious ↔ Carefree

Anxious people worry a lot. Carefree people don’t worry much and take life lightly.

• She felt anxious before the exam and couldn’t sleep.
• Nick has always been a carefree person who doesn’t stress about small problems.

Moody ↔ Cheerful

Moody people change emotions quickly and are often unhappy. Cheerful people are positive and optimistic.

• He’s a moody teenager who gets angry for no clear reason.
• Joy is always cheerful and manages to stay positive even in difficult situations.

Funny ↔ Serious

Funny people make others laugh. Serious people rarely joke and think carefully about things.

• James is a funny guy who can make anyone laugh.
• Peter is very serious and doesn’t enjoy silly jokes.

How we treat other people

Caring ↔ Careless

Caring people show kindness and concern. Careless people don’t pay enough attention or don’t care much.

• She’s a very caring teacher who really wants her students to succeed.
• He was careless with his work and made several avoidable mistakes.

Considerate ↔ Inconsiderate

Considerate people think about others. Inconsiderate people don’t care how their behaviour affects others.

• It was very considerate of you to call and check how she was feeling.
• Their neighbours are terribly inconsiderate and often play loud music at night.

Thoughtful ↔ Thoughtless

Thoughtful people think about others’ needs and feelings. Thoughtless people don’t.

• That was a thoughtful present — she really understood what I like.
• He made a thoughtless comment and hurt her feelings.

Polite ↔ Rude

Polite people are well-mannered. Rude people are impolite and disrespectful.

• The waiter was polite and helpful.
• The man was so rude that nobody wanted to talk to him.

Friendly ↔ Aggressive

Friendly people are kind and pleasant. Aggressive people behave in a hostile or threatening way.

• She’s very friendly and easy to talk to.
• He became aggressive during the argument.

Adjectives to describe behaviour and personality

Responsibility, control & behaviour at work

Responsible ↔ Irresponsible

Responsible people behave sensibly and can be trusted. Irresponsible people cannot.

• Mike is responsible and always finishes his work on time.
• It was irresponsible of her to spend all her money so quickly.

Cautious ↔ Reckless

Cautious people try to avoid danger. Reckless people don’t think about consequences.

• She was cautious when investing her money.
• He’s a reckless driver who often speeds.

Bossy ↔ Submissive

Bossy people like giving orders. Submissive people accept being controlled.

• Everyone found her bossy and difficult to work with.
• He was too submissive to ever disagree with his manager.

Character & honesty

Honest ↔ Deceitful

Honest people tell the truth. Deceitful people lie or mislead others.

• Be honest with me — what do you really think?
• He was deceitful and hid important information from them.

Faithful ↔ Unfaithful

Faithful people are loyal. Unfaithful people are not.

• She remained faithful to her friends even in difficult times.
• He admitted that he had been unfaithful.

Creative ↔ Unimaginative

Creative people have original ideas. Unimaginative people lack originality.

• She’s very creative and always finds new solutions.
• The story was boring and completely unimaginative.

Exam Tip (B2 First & C1 Advanced)

These adjectives are perfect for describing people in Speaking Part 2 and comparing two people or pictures as well as writing better character descriptions in stories and essays.

“He seems more reserved, whereas the other man appears much more outgoing and confident.”

Learning how to describe behaviour and personality will make your English more precise, more natural, and more impressive — especially in exams and real conversations. Try to notice these adjectives when you read stories, watch films, or describe people around you — and start using them actively in your own speaking and writing.

If you really want to learn English but don’t know how to do it and where to start, don’t hesitate to contact us. Book an online English lesson with one of our certified and experienced English teachers and take a test and consultation!