Character Traits That Start With Each Letter: 469 Best Traits Listed

The character trait "dutiful" shown on a dictionary page

Character traits are the differences that make people — whether real or fictional — unique.

While some traits come naturally, a person’s character is shaped by their beliefs, environment, and experiences. It changes over time as the person lives through new challenges and victories.[1]

Of course, this can be both positive and negative. Developing traits like persistence, compassion, and flexibility can lead to success in someone’s life and career, while traits like apathy or greed can be detrimental.

Below, we list more than 400 character traits beginning with each letter, from A to Z. We include positive, negative, and neutral traits in our list.

Scroll past the list for a character analysis activity that can help you understand character traits more deeply!

A

  1. Adventurous:
    willing to try new things
  2. Ambitious:
    driven to achieve your goals
  3. Articulate:
    well-spoken
  4. Attentive:
    observant
  5. Adaptable:
    flexible
  6. Abrasive:
    harsh
  7. Assertive:
    confident
  8. Amusing:
    entertaining
  9. Appreciative:
    thankful
  10. Aimless:
    having no purpose or direction
  11. Artistic:
    creative
  12. Anxious:
    worried
  13. Active:
    energetic
  14. Agreeable:
    open to differing ideas
  15. Absentminded:
    forgetful
  16. Amiable:
    friendly and pleasant
  17. Antisocial:
    doesn’t enjoy the company of others
  18. Arrogant:
    having an exaggerated sense of importance
  19. Affluent:
    wealthy
  20. Athletic:
    physically fit
  21. Agile:
    moves easily and quickly
  22. Argumentative:
    quick to express opposing views
  23. Attractive:
    appealing to look at
  24. Alert:
    watchful
  25. Aggressive:
    hostile
  26. Authoritarian:
    strict

B

  1. Brave:
    courageous
  2. Beautiful:
    aesthetically pleasing
  3. Bold:
    confident risk-taker
  4. Bubbly:
    cheerful
  5. Bossy:
    likes to give orders
  6. Bombastic:
    prone to exaggerating
  7. Blunt:
    plain-spoken
  8. Balanced:
    emotionally stable
  9. Brash:
    overbearing and rude
  10. Blissful:
    full of joy
  11. Brilliant:
    clever and talented
  12. Bitter:
    resentful
  13. Boyish:
    like a young man
  14. Boisterous:
    energetic and loud
  15. Brazen:
    shameless
  16. Bizarre:
    strange

C

  1. Compassionate:
    shows concern for others
  2. Cheerful:
    happy
  3. Creative:
    imaginative and artistic
  4. Confident:
    sure of their own abilities
  5. Caring:
    kind to others
  6. Charming:
    likable
  7. Courageous:
    brave
  8. Calm:
    tranquil
  9. Considerate:
    attentive to the needs of others
  10. Calculating:
    schemes to get what they want
  11. Clever:
    intelligent and bright
  12. Charismatic:
    charming
  13. Capable:
    able to achieve what they want to do
  14. Cooperative:
    willing to compromise and work with others
  15. Cynical:
    distrustful of the sincerity of others
  16. Conservative:
    averse to change; can also refer to political affiliation
  17. Callous:
    insensitive toward others
  18. Complacent:
    satisfied with things as they are
  19. Candid:
    truthful
  20. Conventional:
    does what’s acceptable and traditional
  21. Cowardly:
    isn’t courageous
  22. Childish:
    acts young
  23. Conformist:
    coventional
  24. Cold:
    unemotional
  25. Charitable:
    generous
  26. Civil:
    polite
  27. Cavalier:
    unconcerned
  28. Contemplative:
    thoughtful
  29. Clean:
    has a tendency to be tidy and organized
  30. Conscientious:
    wants to do what’s right
  31. Competitive:
    wants to be the best
  32. Cultured:
    refined and well-educated
  33. Careful:
    avoids danger
  34. Cruel:
    willfully causes others pain
  35. Cute:
    endearing
  36. Captivating:
    charming
  37. Cheeky:
    doesn’t take things too seriously
  38. Curious:
    eager to learn
  39. Conceited:
    excessively prideful

D

  1. Dainty:
    delicate and pretty
  2. Demanding:
    needy
  3. Decisive:
    good at making decisions
  4. Daring:
    willing to take risks
  5. Disagreeable:
    unpleasant to be around
  6. Debonair:
    confident and charming
  7. Dedicated:
    devoted to their purpose
  8. Dishonest:
    prone to lying
  9. Devious:
    willing to scheme to achieve their goals
  10. Dignified:
    worthy of respect
  11. Delightful:
    pleasant to be around
  12. Deceptive:
    lies or misleads others
  13. Desperate:
    has a great desire to do something
  14. Dependable:
    reliable
  15. Decent:
    good
  16. Disloyal:
    isn’t loyal to others
  17. Deceitful:
    prone to lying or misleading others
  18. Disciplined:
    controlled
  19. Dramatic:
    behaves theatrically
  20. Determined:
    set on meeting their goals
  21. Dutiful:
    obedient and responsible
  22. Devoted:
    loyal
  23. Dynamic:
    energetic and full of ideas
  24. Disobedient:
    refuses to listen to authority

E

  1. Energetic:
    active
  2. Earnest:
    serious
  3. Empathetic:
    easily sympathizes with and cares for others
  4. Ethical:
    has strong morals
  5. Elegant:
    graceful and stylish
  6. Excitable:
    easily becomes excited
  7. Even-tempered:
    calm
  8. Easygoing:
    relaxed
  9. Educated:
    well-studied and skilled
  10. Eloquent:
    well-spoken
  11. Envious:
    prone to jealousy
  12. Emotional:
    feels things intensely
  13. Eager:
    enthusiastic
  14. Enigmatic:
    mysterious
  15. Egocentric:
    only thinks of themself
  16. Enchanting:
    charming

F

  1. Funny:
    able to make people laugh
  2. Friendly:
    gets along well with others
  3. Fun-loving:
    enjoys having a good time
  4. Fearless:
    brave and lacking fear
  5. Fair:
    doesn’t cheat or treat others unjustly
  6. Fearful:
    often afraid
  7. Fanatical:
    obsessively interested in something
  8. Faithful:
    loyal and steadfast
  9. Frank:
    open and honest
  10. Fickle:
    changes their mind or interests frequently
  11. Fortunate:
    lucky
  12. Forthright:
    outspoken
  13. Finicky:
    particular about their needs
  14. Forgiving:
    lenient toward other people
  15. Frugal:
    thrifty and good at saving money
  16. Forgetful:
    easily forgets things
  17. Fidgety:
    restless
  18. Foolish:
    doesn’t have good judgment
  19. Forceful:
    assertive
  20. Fashionable:
    stylish
  21. Fierce:
    intense
  22. Flaky:
    unreliable
  23. Flexible:
    adapts easily to their circumstances
  24. Free-thinking:
    thinks for themself and rejects accepted opinions
  25. Formal:
    serious and traditional

G

  1. Gracious:
    kind and courteous toward others
  2. Gentle:
    kind and sensitive
  3. Graceful:
    elegant
  4. Gallant:
    brave
  5. Guileless:
    innocent
  6. Generous:
    shows kindness to others
  7. Gifted:
    talented
  8. Gleeful:
    joyful
  9. Grouchy:
    irritable or grumpy
  10. Genuine:
    honest and true to themself
  11. Good-natured:
    kind and friendly
  12. Greedy:
    desires wealth and power
  13. Glamorous:
    beautiful and elegant
  14. Genius:
    very smart
  15. Grumpy:
    bad-tempered
  16. Gullible:
    easily persuaded

H

  1. Honest:
    truthful
  2. Hard-working:
    diligent worker
  3. Heroic:
    brave
  4. Humble:
    modest about their success or importance
  5. Handsome:
    attractive
  6. Healthy:
    in good health
  7. Helpful:
    willing to assist others with their needs
  8. Happy:
    joyful
  9. Haughty:
    arrogant
  10. Honorable:
    worthy of respect
  11. Hilarious:
    very funny
  12. Hospitable:
    welcoming
  13. Humorous:
    funny
  14. Hateful:
    acts cruel toward others
  15. High-spirited:
    lively and cheerful
  16. Hyper:
    energetic
  17. Hostile:
    unfriendly

I

  1. Independent:
    doesn’t depend on others
  2. Intelligent:
    very smart
  3. Impulsive:
    does things without thinking first
  4. Idealistic:
    aims for perfection
  5. Intuitive:
    follows their feelings
  6. Intolerant:
    not open to other views or beliefs
  7. Individualistic:
    self-reliant
  8. Insightful:
    has a deep understanding of things
  9. Impressionable:
    easily influenced by others
  10. Influential:
    has great influence over other people
  11. Imaginative:
    creative and inventive
  12. Irrational:
    lacking logic or reason
  13. Inventive:
    original thinker with great ideas
  14. Inquisitive:
    curious
  15. Immature:
    lacking emotional or intellectual development
  16. Irritable:
    easily annoyed
  17. Insecure:
    not confident
  18. Immoral:
    doesn’t conform to the standards of morality
  19. Indulgent:
    overly lenient
  20. Ignorant:
    lacking knowledge and awareness
  21. Immodest:
    lacks humility
  22. Innovative:
    good at coming up with new ideas
  23. Irresponsible:
    reckless or thoughtless
  24. Insincere:
    not genuine
  25. Impatient:
    restless and unwilling to wait
  26. Indecisive:
    has difficulty making decisions
  27. Impassive:
    doesn’t show much emotion

J

  1. Joyful:
    happy
  2. Jealous:
    envious of others
  3. Jovial:
    cheerful
  4. Jubilant:
    outwardly happy
  5. Judicious:
    has good sense
  6. Jolly:
    cheerful
  7. Judgmental:
    highly critical
  8. Jaded:
    unenthusiastic
  9. Jittery:
    nervous
  10. Joyless:
    gloomy
  11. Just:
    fair-minded
  12. Jumpy:
    easily frightened

K

  1. Kind:
    friendly and considerate
  2. Knowledgable:
    smart
  3. Knightly:
    chivalrous
  4. Kittenish:
    playful and lively
  5. Kindly:
    warm-hearted
  6. Klutzy:
    clumsy
  7. Kingly:
    regal
  8. Keen:
    sharp
  9. Kind-hearted:
    sympathetic

L

  1. Loyal:
    supportive
  2. Lovable:
    charming
  3. Lazy:
    unwilling to use energy
  4. Logical:
    rational
  5. Loquacious:
    talkative
  6. Loving:
    readily shows affection
  7. Liberal:
    open to new ideas; can also denote a political affiliation
  8. Lanky:
    tall and thin
  9. Likable:
    easy to get along with
  10. Lonely:
    has no companions
  11. Lucky:
    fortunate

M

  1. Mischievous:
    likes to cause trouble
  2. Mature:
    mentally and emotionally advanced
  3. Meticulous:
    has great attention to detail
  4. Modest:
    unassuming
  5. Mannered:
    behaves politely
  6. Mysterious:
    difficult to understand
  7. Moody:
    unpredictably emotional
  8. Melancholic:
    sad
  9. Mellow:
    calm
  10. Methodical:
    orderly; does things in a systematic way
  11. Malicious:
    intends to do harm to others
  12. Magnanimous:
    generous and forgiving
  13. Manic:
    frantic
  14. Moderate:
    doesn’t have extreme views or opinions
  15. Mean:
    unkind
  16. Moralistic:
    makes moral judgments about others
  17. Morbid:
    has an interest in disturbing subjects like death and disease
  18. Mad:
    angry or insane
  19. Misguided:
    has poor judgment or reasoning
  20. Manipulative:
    schemes to control others
  21. Masculine:
    fitting a traditionally manly appearance or personality
  22. Maternal:
    motherly

N

  1. Noble:
    has high morals and personal ideals
  2. Neat:
    tidy and organized
  3. Neutral:
    not extreme in any aspect
  4. Noncompetitive:
    doesn’t enjoy competing with others
  5. Neurotic:
    overanxious or obsessive
  6. Nice:
    kind and friendly
  7. Neglectful:
    doesn’t give proper attention to things
  8. Nimble:
    moves quickly and lightly
  9. Nihilistic:
    believes that life is meaningless
  10. Noisy:
    loud
  11. Narcissistic:
    has an excessive interest in themself and their appearance
  12. Nervous:
    easily agitated
  13. Needy:
    deprived of something
  14. Naive:
    lacking experience and wisdom
  15. Narrow-minded:
    not willing to listen to other opinions

O

  1. Optimistic:
    hopeful about the future
  2. Outspoken:
    speaks freely and directly, even if their opinions are controversial
  3. Open-minded:
    willing to consider different or new ideas
  4. Observant:
    quick to notice things
  5. Opinionated:
    assertive in sharing their views
  6. Old-fashioned:
    holds traditional values
  7. Ordinary:
    normal
  8. Outgoing:
    friendly
  9. Objective:
    unbiased
  10. Obsessive:
    easily consumed by their interests or hobbies
  11. Open:
    straightforward and communicative
  12. Ostentatious:
    pretentious and showy
  13. Opportunistic:
    takes advantage of any chance available to them
  14. Organized:
    good at keeping their space carefully arranged and tidy
  15. Odd:
    unusual
  16. Original:
    unique or one-of-a-kind
  17. Obnoxious:
    annoying
  18. Obedient:
    compliant
  19. Overzealous:
    excessively passionate or energetic

P

  1. Prim:
    formal and proper
  2. Plain:
    simple and ordinary
  3. Proper:
    behaves appropriately
  4. Passionate:
    has strong feelings and beliefs
  5. Patriotic:
    has a sense of pride for their country
  6. Productive:
    able to produce significant results, such as in the workplace
  7. Progressive:
    advocates for new ideas and reforms
  8. Pretentious:
    has an elevated sense of self-importance
  9. Proud:
    satisfied with their achievements and qualities
  10. Peaceful:
    calm and joyful
  11. Picky:
    has strong preferences and opinions
  12. Popular:
    well-liked by other people
  13. Patient:
    doesn’t get frustrated by waiting
  14. Paternalistic:
    authoritative
  15. Perceptive:
    insightful
  16. Polite:
    treats others kindly
  17. Persuasive:
    able to convince others to agree with them
  18. Passive:
    accepts what happens without actively responding
  19. Provocative:
    draws strong reactions from other people
  20. Personable:
    likable
  21. Positive:
    optimistic
  22. Private:
    prefers not to share a lot about themself with others
  23. Pessimistic:
    believes the worst will happen
  24. Pedantic:
    diligent and precise
  25. Punctual:
    always arrives on time and meets deadlines
  26. Presumptuous:
    ignores the limits of what’s appropriate, such as giving unwanted advice
  27. Puritanical:
    holds strictly to their morals
  28. Playful:
    likes to have fun and be amused
  29. Principled:
    has strong morals and ethics
  30. Petty:
    childish and uncooperative
  31. Precise:
    has great attention to detail
  32. Prejudiced:
    dislikes or distrusts people or things based on biases against them
  33. Persnickety:
    obsesses over minor details
  34. Pleasant:
    likable and friendly
  35. Paranoid:
    very anxious or suspicious
  36. Protective:
    strives to keep their loved ones safe

Q

  1. Quiet:
    not talkative or noisy
  2. Quirky:
    peculiar
  3. Quick:
    fast
  4. Quizzical:
    amusingly odd
  5. Quaint:
    old-fashioned
  6. Quackish:
    pretentious
  7. Queenly:
    regal
  8. Quick-witted:
    quick thinker
  9. Quibbling:
    argumentative
  10. Qualified:
    certified or well-trained
  11. Quarrelsome:
    argumentative

R

  1. Responsible:
    trustworthy
  2. Resilient:
    able to withstand challenges
  3. Reserved:
    quiet and private
  4. Reliable:
    dependable and trustworthy
  5. Rational:
    able to think logically
  6. Reasonable:
    fair and sensible
  7. Realistic:
    able to look at things objectively
  8. Relaxed:
    isn’t tense or anxious
  9. Romantic:
    has an idealized view of reality
  10. Rebellious:
    resists authority and convention
  11. Respectful:
    treats others with respect
  12. Restless:
    unable to relax
  13. Resourceful:
    overcomes challenges in clever ways
  14. Resentful:
    holds grudges
  15. Reflective:
    thoughtful
  16. Rude:
    treats others disrespectfully
  17. Reactionary:
    has strong, traditional beliefs
  18. Rowdy:
    noisy and disorderly

S

  1. Selfish:
    cares about themself more than anyone or anything else
  2. Smart:
    intelligent or learned
  3. Shy:
    not talkative or outgoing around strangers
  4. Selfless:
    treats others generously
  5. Studious:
    spends a lot of time studying or reading
  6. Self-confident:
    sure of themself and their abilities
  7. Strong:
    can refer to physical strength or the ability to overcome challenges
  8. Self-disciplined:
    able to keep themself on task
  9. Sarcastic:
    has an ironic sense of humor
  10. Suave:
    charming and confident
  11. Spontaneous:
    enjoys following their whims rather than planning
  12. Self-reliant:
    able to fulfill their own needs
  13. Secure:
    feels safe and stable
  14. Stern:
    serious and strict
  15. Successful:
    has achieved a lot in their life and/or career
  16. Skillful:
    has a lot of skills or is an expert in their field
  17. Stubborn:
    unwilling to change their mind
  18. Secretive:
    likes to keep things to themself
  19. Shallow:
    has little depth; superficial
  20. Sincere:
    genuine and honest
  21. Stylish:
    fashionable
  22. Sane:
    mentally stable
  23. Sympathetic:
    treats others with care and condolence
  24. Self-aware:
    realistic about their own strengths and faults
  25. Sentimental:
    prone to nostalgia and sadness
  26. Sociable:
    friendly and outgoing
  27. Serious:
    earnest and somber
  28. Simple-minded:
    has low intelligence
  29. Sophisticated:
    worldly and elegant
  30. Stoic:
    endures challenges without showing feelings
  31. Scholarly:
    well-educated; enjoys studying
  32. Spiritual:
    has strong religious beliefs
  33. Scatterbrained:
    forgetful and disorganized
  34. Superficial:
    cares most about surface-level things like physical beauty
  35. Scrupulous:
    attentive to details or careful to avoid wrongdoing
  36. Self-sufficient:
    able to take care of themself without assistance
  37. Shrewd:
    makes sharp judgments
  38. Sweet:
    treats others nicely
  39. Superstitious:
    believes in mythical things

T

  1. Trustworthy:
    honest and truthful
  2. Timid:
    lacking courage or confidence
  3. Tireless:
    energetic
  4. Thoughtful:
    deeply considers things
  5. Tenacious:
    determined
  6. Talented:
    skilled in a particular field
  7. Tasteless:
    lacking in judgment
  8. Thrifty:
    frugal; good at saving money
  9. Tolerant:
    accepting of differences
  10. Tactless:
    lacking in sensitivity
  11. Thorough:
    does things completely and with attention to every detail
  12. Tidy:
    organized and clean
  13. Trendy:
    keeps up with the latest fashions
  14. Tasteful:
    has good judgment and behaves appropriately
  15. Tactical:
    carefully plans things
  16. Talkative:
    enjoys having conversations
  17. Tense:
    feels anxious or nervous rather than relaxed
  18. Trusting:
    quick to believe in the sincerity of others
  19. Tough:
    mentally and/or physically strong
  20. Tacky:
    has poor taste
  21. Thoughtless:
    doesn’t think before acting or speaking

U

  1. Understanding:
    able to see things from other perspectives
  2. Unselfish:
    puts others before themself
  3. Urbane:
    courteous and refined
  4. Unsentimental:
    not prone to nostalgia
  5. Unstable:
    prone to challenges or changes in mood
  6. Uptight:
    strict and inflexible
  7. Unreliable:
    can’t be trusted to do what they say
  8. Unpolished:
    lacking sophistication
  9. Unhealthy:
    ill or in poor health
  10. Upbeat:
    energetic
  11. Unbiased:
    doesn’t have prejudices
  12. Uncouth:
    lacking manners and refinement
  13. Unique:
    has distinctive qualities
  14. Unfriendly:
    doesn’t easily get along with others
  15. Unimaginative:
    lacks creativity or ideas
  16. Uncooperative:
    not good at working with others

V

  1. Valiant:
    courageous and determined
  2. Vivacious:
    lively and high-spirited
  3. Vindictive:
    desires revenge
  4. Vulnerable:
    in need of care and support
  5. Volatile:
    unpredictable
  6. Vain:
    superficial
  7. Versatile:
    adapts well to change
  8. Vulgar:
    inappropriate
  9. Vicious:
    treats others with cruelty
  10. Vigilant:
    careful

W

  1. Witty:
    naturally funny
  2. Warm:
    kind-hearted
  3. Wild:
    acts in unexpected ways
  4. Willful:
    has a stubborn sense of determination
  5. Wise:
    intelligent and insightful
  6. Wealthy:
    has a lot of money and other assets
  7. Well-rounded:
    has a wide and varied skillset
  8. Worldly:
    experienced and knowledgeable
  9. Watchful:
    careful and observant
  10. Wrathful:
    intensely angry
  11. Whimsical:
    playfully quaint
  12. Weak:
    lacking physical or mental strength

X

  1. Xenial:
    hospitable
  2. Xenophobic:
    dislikes people from other countries
  3. Xenodocial:
    friendly to strangers

Y

  1. Youthful:
    seems young
  2. Yearnful:
    desirous
  3. Yielding:
    gives in under pressure
  4. Young:
    has lived for a short time

Z

  1. Zany:
    unconventional
  2. Zealous:
    passionate
  3. Zestful:
    energetic
  4. Zen:
    calm
  5. Zippy:
    quick

Activity: Analyzing a Person’s Character Traits

Humans are complex individuals, and one person can contain a wide variety of character traits. Someone can be both ambitious and fearful, for example.

To understand character traits better, you can conduct a deep dive into one character’s personality and describe them using the words on our list!

Follow these steps:

  • Choose a character you know very well. This can be a character from a book, TV show, or movie — just be sure to choose one very familiar to you. The more you know about the character, the easier it will be for you to delve into their character traits!
  • Write down what you know about the character. This can include basic details about their life (their job, where they live, etc.), as well as details about their personality and behavior. Are they very social, or do they have few friends? Are they well-educated? Do they treat other people with kindness, or are they the villain of the story? Gather as many of these facts as you can for a full understanding of the character.
  • Match details in your description to adjectives from our list. Formulating a list of the character’s traits is easy when you’ve already considered the details gathered in the previous step. For example, if you noted that your character has a large social circle, you can assign them character traits like “friendly” and “sociable.” If the character is a graduate student, you might describe them as “scholarly” or “intelligent.”
  • Create a word map with related adjectives. Once you have a short list of adjectives that describe the character well, you can build out a larger list by mapping out related character traits. Using the “friendly” and “sociable” example from the previous step, your map can include related traits like “outgoing,” “kind,” “charismatic,” “talkative,” and “hospitable.”
  • Decide which adjectives are positive and negative. People are complicated, and no person or character is flawless! Acknowledging the character’s faults and strengths is important to understand them better.