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.
- Active/passive
- Anxious/carefree
- Bold/shy
- Bossy/submissive
- Cautious/reckless
- Caring/careless
- Considerate/inconsiderate
- Creative/unimaginative
- Faithful/unfaithful
- Friendly/aggressive
- Funny/serious
- Honest/deceitful
- Extroverted/introverted
- Moody/cheerful
- Outgoing/reserved
- Polite/rude
- Responsible/irresponsible
- 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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