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
- Adventurous:
willing to try new things - Ambitious:
driven to achieve your goals - Articulate:
well-spoken - Attentive:
observant - Adaptable:
flexible - Abrasive:
harsh - Assertive:
confident - Amusing:
entertaining - Appreciative:
thankful - Aimless:
having no purpose or direction - Artistic:
creative - Anxious:
worried - Active:
energetic - Agreeable:
open to differing ideas - Absentminded:
forgetful - Amiable:
friendly and pleasant - Antisocial:
doesn’t enjoy the company of others - Arrogant:
having an exaggerated sense of importance - Affluent:
wealthy - Athletic:
physically fit - Agile:
moves easily and quickly - Argumentative:
quick to express opposing views - Attractive:
appealing to look at - Alert:
watchful - Aggressive:
hostile - Authoritarian:
strict
B
- Brave:
courageous - Beautiful:
aesthetically pleasing - Bold:
confident risk-taker - Bubbly:
cheerful - Bossy:
likes to give orders - Bombastic:
prone to exaggerating - Blunt:
plain-spoken - Balanced:
emotionally stable - Brash:
overbearing and rude - Blissful:
full of joy - Brilliant:
clever and talented - Bitter:
resentful - Boyish:
like a young man - Boisterous:
energetic and loud - Brazen:
shameless - Bizarre:
strange
C
- Compassionate:
shows concern for others - Cheerful:
happy - Creative:
imaginative and artistic - Confident:
sure of their own abilities - Caring:
kind to others - Charming:
likable - Courageous:
brave - Calm:
tranquil - Considerate:
attentive to the needs of others - Calculating:
schemes to get what they want - Clever:
intelligent and bright - Charismatic:
charming - Capable:
able to achieve what they want to do - Cooperative:
willing to compromise and work with others - Cynical:
distrustful of the sincerity of others - Conservative:
averse to change; can also refer to political affiliation - Callous:
insensitive toward others - Complacent:
satisfied with things as they are - Candid:
truthful - Conventional:
does what’s acceptable and traditional - Cowardly:
isn’t courageous - Childish:
acts young - Conformist:
coventional - Cold:
unemotional - Charitable:
generous - Civil:
polite - Cavalier:
unconcerned - Contemplative:
thoughtful - Clean:
has a tendency to be tidy and organized - Conscientious:
wants to do what’s right - Competitive:
wants to be the best - Cultured:
refined and well-educated - Careful:
avoids danger - Cruel:
willfully causes others pain - Cute:
endearing - Captivating:
charming - Cheeky:
doesn’t take things too seriously - Curious:
eager to learn - Conceited:
excessively prideful
D
- Dainty:
delicate and pretty - Demanding:
needy - Decisive:
good at making decisions - Daring:
willing to take risks - Disagreeable:
unpleasant to be around - Debonair:
confident and charming - Dedicated:
devoted to their purpose - Dishonest:
prone to lying - Devious:
willing to scheme to achieve their goals - Dignified:
worthy of respect - Delightful:
pleasant to be around - Deceptive:
lies or misleads others - Desperate:
has a great desire to do something - Dependable:
reliable - Decent:
good - Disloyal:
isn’t loyal to others - Deceitful:
prone to lying or misleading others - Disciplined:
controlled - Dramatic:
behaves theatrically - Determined:
set on meeting their goals - Dutiful:
obedient and responsible - Devoted:
loyal - Dynamic:
energetic and full of ideas - Disobedient:
refuses to listen to authority
E
- Energetic:
active - Earnest:
serious - Empathetic:
easily sympathizes with and cares for others - Ethical:
has strong morals - Elegant:
graceful and stylish - Excitable:
easily becomes excited - Even-tempered:
calm - Easygoing:
relaxed - Educated:
well-studied and skilled - Eloquent:
well-spoken - Envious:
prone to jealousy - Emotional:
feels things intensely - Eager:
enthusiastic - Enigmatic:
mysterious - Egocentric:
only thinks of themself - Enchanting:
charming
F
- Funny:
able to make people laugh - Friendly:
gets along well with others - Fun-loving:
enjoys having a good time - Fearless:
brave and lacking fear - Fair:
doesn’t cheat or treat others unjustly - Fearful:
often afraid - Fanatical:
obsessively interested in something - Faithful:
loyal and steadfast - Frank:
open and honest - Fickle:
changes their mind or interests frequently - Fortunate:
lucky - Forthright:
outspoken - Finicky:
particular about their needs - Forgiving:
lenient toward other people - Frugal:
thrifty and good at saving money - Forgetful:
easily forgets things - Fidgety:
restless - Foolish:
doesn’t have good judgment - Forceful:
assertive - Fashionable:
stylish - Fierce:
intense - Flaky:
unreliable - Flexible:
adapts easily to their circumstances - Free-thinking:
thinks for themself and rejects accepted opinions - Formal:
serious and traditional
G
- Gracious:
kind and courteous toward others - Gentle:
kind and sensitive - Graceful:
elegant - Gallant:
brave - Guileless:
innocent - Generous:
shows kindness to others - Gifted:
talented - Gleeful:
joyful - Grouchy:
irritable or grumpy - Genuine:
honest and true to themself - Good-natured:
kind and friendly - Greedy:
desires wealth and power - Glamorous:
beautiful and elegant - Genius:
very smart - Grumpy:
bad-tempered - Gullible:
easily persuaded
H
- Honest:
truthful - Hard-working:
diligent worker - Heroic:
brave - Humble:
modest about their success or importance - Handsome:
attractive - Healthy:
in good health - Helpful:
willing to assist others with their needs - Happy:
joyful - Haughty:
arrogant - Honorable:
worthy of respect - Hilarious:
very funny - Hospitable:
welcoming - Humorous:
funny - Hateful:
acts cruel toward others - High-spirited:
lively and cheerful - Hyper:
energetic - Hostile:
unfriendly
I
- Independent:
doesn’t depend on others - Intelligent:
very smart - Impulsive:
does things without thinking first - Idealistic:
aims for perfection - Intuitive:
follows their feelings - Intolerant:
not open to other views or beliefs - Individualistic:
self-reliant - Insightful:
has a deep understanding of things - Impressionable:
easily influenced by others - Influential:
has great influence over other people - Imaginative:
creative and inventive - Irrational:
lacking logic or reason - Inventive:
original thinker with great ideas - Inquisitive:
curious - Immature:
lacking emotional or intellectual development - Irritable:
easily annoyed - Insecure:
not confident - Immoral:
doesn’t conform to the standards of morality - Indulgent:
overly lenient - Ignorant:
lacking knowledge and awareness - Immodest:
lacks humility - Innovative:
good at coming up with new ideas - Irresponsible:
reckless or thoughtless - Insincere:
not genuine - Impatient:
restless and unwilling to wait - Indecisive:
has difficulty making decisions - Impassive:
doesn’t show much emotion
J
- Joyful:
happy - Jealous:
envious of others - Jovial:
cheerful - Jubilant:
outwardly happy - Judicious:
has good sense - Jolly:
cheerful - Judgmental:
highly critical - Jaded:
unenthusiastic - Jittery:
nervous - Joyless:
gloomy - Just:
fair-minded - Jumpy:
easily frightened
K
- Kind:
friendly and considerate - Knowledgable:
smart - Knightly:
chivalrous - Kittenish:
playful and lively - Kindly:
warm-hearted - Klutzy:
clumsy - Kingly:
regal - Keen:
sharp - Kind-hearted:
sympathetic
L
- Loyal:
supportive - Lovable:
charming - Lazy:
unwilling to use energy - Logical:
rational - Loquacious:
talkative - Loving:
readily shows affection - Liberal:
open to new ideas; can also denote a political affiliation - Lanky:
tall and thin - Likable:
easy to get along with - Lonely:
has no companions - Lucky:
fortunate
M
- Mischievous:
likes to cause trouble - Mature:
mentally and emotionally advanced - Meticulous:
has great attention to detail - Modest:
unassuming - Mannered:
behaves politely - Mysterious:
difficult to understand - Moody:
unpredictably emotional - Melancholic:
sad - Mellow:
calm - Methodical:
orderly; does things in a systematic way - Malicious:
intends to do harm to others - Magnanimous:
generous and forgiving - Manic:
frantic - Moderate:
doesn’t have extreme views or opinions - Mean:
unkind - Moralistic:
makes moral judgments about others - Morbid:
has an interest in disturbing subjects like death and disease - Mad:
angry or insane - Misguided:
has poor judgment or reasoning - Manipulative:
schemes to control others - Masculine:
fitting a traditionally manly appearance or personality - Maternal:
motherly
N
- Noble:
has high morals and personal ideals - Neat:
tidy and organized - Neutral:
not extreme in any aspect - Noncompetitive:
doesn’t enjoy competing with others - Neurotic:
overanxious or obsessive - Nice:
kind and friendly - Neglectful:
doesn’t give proper attention to things - Nimble:
moves quickly and lightly - Nihilistic:
believes that life is meaningless - Noisy:
loud - Narcissistic:
has an excessive interest in themself and their appearance - Nervous:
easily agitated - Needy:
deprived of something - Naive:
lacking experience and wisdom - Narrow-minded:
not willing to listen to other opinions
O
- Optimistic:
hopeful about the future - Outspoken:
speaks freely and directly, even if their opinions are controversial - Open-minded:
willing to consider different or new ideas - Observant:
quick to notice things - Opinionated:
assertive in sharing their views - Old-fashioned:
holds traditional values - Ordinary:
normal - Outgoing:
friendly - Objective:
unbiased - Obsessive:
easily consumed by their interests or hobbies - Open:
straightforward and communicative - Ostentatious:
pretentious and showy - Opportunistic:
takes advantage of any chance available to them - Organized:
good at keeping their space carefully arranged and tidy - Odd:
unusual - Original:
unique or one-of-a-kind - Obnoxious:
annoying - Obedient:
compliant - Overzealous:
excessively passionate or energetic
P
- Prim:
formal and proper - Plain:
simple and ordinary - Proper:
behaves appropriately - Passionate:
has strong feelings and beliefs - Patriotic:
has a sense of pride for their country - Productive:
able to produce significant results, such as in the workplace - Progressive:
advocates for new ideas and reforms - Pretentious:
has an elevated sense of self-importance - Proud:
satisfied with their achievements and qualities - Peaceful:
calm and joyful - Picky:
has strong preferences and opinions - Popular:
well-liked by other people - Patient:
doesn’t get frustrated by waiting - Paternalistic:
authoritative - Perceptive:
insightful - Polite:
treats others kindly - Persuasive:
able to convince others to agree with them - Passive:
accepts what happens without actively responding - Provocative:
draws strong reactions from other people - Personable:
likable - Positive:
optimistic - Private:
prefers not to share a lot about themself with others - Pessimistic:
believes the worst will happen - Pedantic:
diligent and precise - Punctual:
always arrives on time and meets deadlines - Presumptuous:
ignores the limits of what’s appropriate, such as giving unwanted advice - Puritanical:
holds strictly to their morals - Playful:
likes to have fun and be amused - Principled:
has strong morals and ethics - Petty:
childish and uncooperative - Precise:
has great attention to detail - Prejudiced:
dislikes or distrusts people or things based on biases against them - Persnickety:
obsesses over minor details - Pleasant:
likable and friendly - Paranoid:
very anxious or suspicious - Protective:
strives to keep their loved ones safe
Q
- Quiet:
not talkative or noisy - Quirky:
peculiar - Quick:
fast - Quizzical:
amusingly odd - Quaint:
old-fashioned - Quackish:
pretentious - Queenly:
regal - Quick-witted:
quick thinker - Quibbling:
argumentative - Qualified:
certified or well-trained - Quarrelsome:
argumentative
R
- Responsible:
trustworthy - Resilient:
able to withstand challenges - Reserved:
quiet and private - Reliable:
dependable and trustworthy - Rational:
able to think logically - Reasonable:
fair and sensible - Realistic:
able to look at things objectively - Relaxed:
isn’t tense or anxious - Romantic:
has an idealized view of reality - Rebellious:
resists authority and convention - Respectful:
treats others with respect - Restless:
unable to relax - Resourceful:
overcomes challenges in clever ways - Resentful:
holds grudges - Reflective:
thoughtful - Rude:
treats others disrespectfully - Reactionary:
has strong, traditional beliefs - Rowdy:
noisy and disorderly
S
- Selfish:
cares about themself more than anyone or anything else - Smart:
intelligent or learned - Shy:
not talkative or outgoing around strangers - Selfless:
treats others generously - Studious:
spends a lot of time studying or reading - Self-confident:
sure of themself and their abilities - Strong:
can refer to physical strength or the ability to overcome challenges - Self-disciplined:
able to keep themself on task - Sarcastic:
has an ironic sense of humor - Suave:
charming and confident - Spontaneous:
enjoys following their whims rather than planning - Self-reliant:
able to fulfill their own needs - Secure:
feels safe and stable - Stern:
serious and strict - Successful:
has achieved a lot in their life and/or career - Skillful:
has a lot of skills or is an expert in their field - Stubborn:
unwilling to change their mind - Secretive:
likes to keep things to themself - Shallow:
has little depth; superficial - Sincere:
genuine and honest - Stylish:
fashionable - Sane:
mentally stable - Sympathetic:
treats others with care and condolence - Self-aware:
realistic about their own strengths and faults - Sentimental:
prone to nostalgia and sadness - Sociable:
friendly and outgoing - Serious:
earnest and somber - Simple-minded:
has low intelligence - Sophisticated:
worldly and elegant - Stoic:
endures challenges without showing feelings - Scholarly:
well-educated; enjoys studying - Spiritual:
has strong religious beliefs - Scatterbrained:
forgetful and disorganized - Superficial:
cares most about surface-level things like physical beauty - Scrupulous:
attentive to details or careful to avoid wrongdoing - Self-sufficient:
able to take care of themself without assistance - Shrewd:
makes sharp judgments - Sweet:
treats others nicely - Superstitious:
believes in mythical things
T
- Trustworthy:
honest and truthful - Timid:
lacking courage or confidence - Tireless:
energetic - Thoughtful:
deeply considers things - Tenacious:
determined - Talented:
skilled in a particular field - Tasteless:
lacking in judgment - Thrifty:
frugal; good at saving money - Tolerant:
accepting of differences - Tactless:
lacking in sensitivity - Thorough:
does things completely and with attention to every detail - Tidy:
organized and clean - Trendy:
keeps up with the latest fashions - Tasteful:
has good judgment and behaves appropriately - Tactical:
carefully plans things - Talkative:
enjoys having conversations - Tense:
feels anxious or nervous rather than relaxed - Trusting:
quick to believe in the sincerity of others - Tough:
mentally and/or physically strong - Tacky:
has poor taste - Thoughtless:
doesn’t think before acting or speaking
U
- Understanding:
able to see things from other perspectives - Unselfish:
puts others before themself - Urbane:
courteous and refined - Unsentimental:
not prone to nostalgia - Unstable:
prone to challenges or changes in mood - Uptight:
strict and inflexible - Unreliable:
can’t be trusted to do what they say - Unpolished:
lacking sophistication - Unhealthy:
ill or in poor health - Upbeat:
energetic - Unbiased:
doesn’t have prejudices - Uncouth:
lacking manners and refinement - Unique:
has distinctive qualities - Unfriendly:
doesn’t easily get along with others - Unimaginative:
lacks creativity or ideas - Uncooperative:
not good at working with others
V
- Valiant:
courageous and determined - Vivacious:
lively and high-spirited - Vindictive:
desires revenge - Vulnerable:
in need of care and support - Volatile:
unpredictable - Vain:
superficial - Versatile:
adapts well to change - Vulgar:
inappropriate - Vicious:
treats others with cruelty - Vigilant:
careful
W
- Witty:
naturally funny - Warm:
kind-hearted - Wild:
acts in unexpected ways - Willful:
has a stubborn sense of determination - Wise:
intelligent and insightful - Wealthy:
has a lot of money and other assets - Well-rounded:
has a wide and varied skillset - Worldly:
experienced and knowledgeable - Watchful:
careful and observant - Wrathful:
intensely angry - Whimsical:
playfully quaint - Weak:
lacking physical or mental strength
X
- Xenial:
hospitable - Xenophobic:
dislikes people from other countries - Xenodocial:
friendly to strangers
Y
- Youthful:
seems young - Yearnful:
desirous - Yielding:
gives in under pressure - Young:
has lived for a short time
Z
- Zany:
unconventional - Zealous:
passionate - Zestful:
energetic - Zen:
calm - 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.
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