There are many adjectives to describe a person in English. We use them to talk about how someone looks, acts, feels, thinks, and many more. You should use them carefully as they can offend someone.

1. What are personality adjectives?

Personality adjectives describe a person’s character, the way people behave and interact with others. For example, if someone does not want to work most of the time, we can say that they are lazy.

2. Adjectives to describe a person

2.1 Nice words to describe someone

Do you want to say something nice to someone you love? The list below contains positive adjectives to describe a person. To help you use them in sentences, here are some examples to inspire you. You can add adverbs of degree to intensify them.

  1. You’re the most affectionate person I’ve ever known.
  2. You're so adorable. I love you so much.
  3. I feel safe with him. He is such a caring person.
  4. My son is incredibly smart.
List of 58 positive adjectives and nice words to describe someone.
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2.2 Descriptive words for physical appearance

2.2.1 General appearance

  1. beautiful
  2. handsome
  3. attractive
  4. pretty
  5. gorgeous
  6. ugly
  7. tall
  1. medium-height
  2. short
  3. slim
  4. slender
  5. thin
  6. fat
  7. overweight
  8. thin
  9. petite
  10. muscular

2.2.2 Hair

  1. long
  2. short
  3. medium-length
  4. blonde
  5. brunette
  6. straight
  7. curly
  8. wavy
  9. bald

2.2.3 Eyes

  1. blue
  2. brown
  3. green
  4. bright
  5. beautiful

2.2.4 Face

  1. round
  2. oval
  3. square
  4. freckled
  5. wrinkled

2.3 Describing emotions

  1. happy
  2. sad
  3. angry
  4. excited
  5. tired
  6. scared
  7. surprised
  8. confused
  9. worried
  10. calm
  11. nervous
  1. annoyed
  2. frustrated
  3. embarrassed
  4. jealous
  5. grateful
  6. hopeful
  7. disappointed
  8. proud
  9. shy
  1. confident
  2. guilty
  3. ashamed
  4. bored
  5. curious
  6. energetic
  7. relieved
  8. loving
  9. overwhelmed

2.4 Characters

  1. generous
  2. kind
  3. stingy
  4. arrogant
  5. polite
  6. impolite
  7. lazy
  8. rude
  9. stupid
  10. foolish
  1. unreliable
  2. pessimistic
  3. optimistic
  4. timid
  5. honest
  6. dishonest
  7. sincere
  8. insincere
  9. trustworthy
  10. untrustworthy
  1. cruel
  2. reliable
  3. mean
  4. sociable
  5. unsociable
  6. sympathetic
  7. unsympathetic
  8. fair
  9. unfair
  10. just
  11. unjust
  12. loyal
  13. courageous
  14. bold
  1. adventurous
  2. fearless
  3. brave
  4. cheerful
  5. bright
  6. patient
  7. imaginative
  8. modest
  9. wise
  10. courteous
  11. compassionate
  12. friendly
  13. reserved
  14. clumsy

2.5 Skills

  1. intelligent
  2. skilled
  3. talented
  4. capable
  5. competent
  6. proficient
  7. expert
  8. accomplished
  9. creative
  10. educated
  1. knowledgeable
  2. inventive
  3. resourceful
  4. educated
  5. unskilled
  6. incapable
  7. incompetent
  8. irrational
  9. illogical
  10. logical
  11. uneducated
  12. ignorant

3. Using adjectives cautiously

Be careful when using positive or negative adjectives to describe a person. Some descriptive words may seem normal in one culture but can sound offensive in another. For example, calling someone “fat” can be a hurtful remark. In addition, adjectives are based on personal opinions. Some people may think “quiet” is good, while others may see it as something bad.

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