Adjectives that Describe Behaviour and Their Opposites

Adjectives that Describe Behaviour and Their Opposites

Hello English learners. Welcome to a new lesson. Today, we will look at some useful vocabulary, especially when it comes to writing. Here are 18 adjectives that describe behaviour and their opposites.

1. Active/passive
2. Anxious/carefree
3. Bold/shy
4. Bossy/submissive
5. Cautious/reckless
6. Caring/careless
7. Considerate/inconsiderate
8. Creative/unimaginative
9. Faithful/unfaithful
10. Friendly/aggressive
11. Funny/serious
12. Honest/deceitful
13. Extroverted/introverted
14. Moody/cheerful
15. Outgoing/reserved
16. Polite/rude
17. Responsible/irresponsible
18. Thoughtful/thoughtless

Active/passive

An active person is always busy doing something, while a passive person rarely argues and usually does as he or she is told.

• Pam was usually very active and noisy in the morning.
• Mark had a passive attitude in a relationship. He always put his partner’s needs in the first place and never criticized her.

Adjectives that Describe Behaviour and Their Opposites

Anxious/carefree

An anxious person is worried and nervous, while a carefree person has no worries or responsibilities.

• Mr. Jones was anxious to marry his daughters.
• Nick has always been a carefree person who carried his responsibilities lightly.

Bold/shy

A bold person is brave and isn’t afraid to take risks; a shy person is timid and nervous in other people’s company.

• Sean was a bold mountain climber.
• Helen was too shy to talk to the man.

Bossy/submissive

A bossy person likes to give orders to people while a submissive one is obedient and passive and does not mind being controlled by others.

• The employees found Martha bossy and interfering.
• Doctors expect their patients to be submissive.

Cautious/reckless

A cautious person is careful and wants to avoid problems or dangerous situations, while a reckless person does not care much about the consequences of their doings.

• Jill was very cautious when she was riding a bicycle.
• Simon was a reckless driver.

Caring/careless

A caring person shows care and kindness for others, while a careless person shows a lack of empathy and concern.

• George was a gentle, caring uncle.
• The student was careless about his spelling and grammar mistakes.

Considerate/inconsiderate

A considerate person is kind and helpful and takes care not to harm or disturb others. An inconsiderate person does not care about other people’s feelings, thoughtless.

• Rob is very considerate towards elderly people.
• Henry had some inconsiderate neighbours who would be partying all night with loud music.

Adjectives that Describe Behaviour and Their Opposites

Creative/unimaginative

A person who uses imagination to create something is creative, while an unimaginative person does not show any imagination or originality.

• Sara is very creative, always coming up with new solutions.
• His ex-girlfriend found him dull and unimaginative.

Faithful/unfaithful

A faithful person is loyal, true and remains constant. An unfaithful person is disloyal and insincere.

• Larry was faithful in word and deed.
• Samantha was shocked when she found out that her husband was unfaithful to her.

Friendly/aggressive

A friendly person is kind and pleasant. An aggressive person behaves in a forceful way.

• Michael has a pleasant, friendly personality. He’s excited about meeting new people and is easily approachable.
• Jim was aggressive and moody as a child.

Funny/serious

A funny person usually makes people laugh, while a serious person is characterized by not joking, being quiet and considering things carefully.

• James was a funny man who always made people laugh.
• Peter never laughs. He’s always so serious.

Honest/deceitful

An honest person is truthful and sincere while a deceitful person is prone to behaving in an insincere and dishonest way.

• Do these trousers suit me? Please, be honest.
• Bob made his client sign the contract by being deceitful.

Extroverted/introverted

Extroverted people are open and outgoing, and enjoy other people’s company, while introverted people are quiet and shy, they prefer being alone than with other people.

• Paul was a naturally extroverted guy who mixes very well and enjoys other people’s company.
• I think that Toby is too introverted to be a boss.

Moody/cheerful

Moody people change their moods suddenly and they are mostly unhappy and nervous. Cheerful people are happy and optimistic.

• Miranda’s son was a moody and irritable 16-year-old.
• Joy was a lively and cheerful person.

Outgoing/reserved

If someone is outgoing, they are friendly, open and socially confident, while a reserved person keeps their feelings and thoughts to themselves.

• Luke has developed an outgoing personality to hide his shyness.
• Emma described her neighbour as a reserved man she didn’t know much about.

Polite/rude

A polite person is well-mannered and considerate to other people, while rude people are bad-mannered and impolite.

• Jane taught her children to be kind and polite.
• That man was so rude that no one wanted to talk to him. 

Responsible/irresponsible

Responsible people behave properly, sensitively and considerately while irresponsible people are the opposite – they do not behave properly or sensibly.

• Mike is a quiet and responsible man. He would make a good manager.
• Cheryl was quite irresponsible, especially when it comes to money.

Thoughtful/thoughtless

A thoughtful person is considerate and caring, while a thoughtless person is inconsiderate and careless.

• Jack was a thoughtful man who would often give flowers to women.
• Paula despised thoughtless people.

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