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 - Cut
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
treats others justly - 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 - Mysteriou
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 strong views or opinions - Mean
unkind - Moralistic
makes moral judgments about others - Morbid
has an interest in disturbing subjects like death and disease - Mad
angry - 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 intense 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.