Positive English Adjectives to Describe People [+ Free Worksheet]

Jun 19, 2024 | Advanced Vocabulary, Free Resource

This lesson was originally published in June 2017. It June 2024 it was updated to include more vocabulary, a new video lesson, and a worksheet to download for practice.

Have you ever been at a networking event and someone asked you to describe a colleague? Or maybe during a job interview, you were asked to talk about a former boss or a team member?ย 

And all you could think of was, “Nice.”

Or, “Kind.”

Describing othersโ€ฆ It’s not always easy, right?

 

Today, weโ€™re going to tackle that precise challenge: how to describe people in English. And in this case, weโ€™ll focus on using positive adjectives.ย 

Whether you’re explaining why a friend is such a fantastic artist, discussing a coworkerโ€™s brilliant problem-solving skills, or sharing what makes your mentor so inspiring, the words you choose are powerful.

When feeling stuck or unsure, itโ€™s common to fall back on simple words like ‘nice’ or ‘smart,’ but these donโ€™t fully capture someoneโ€™s unique qualities.ย 

Thatโ€™s why in this lesson, weโ€™ll explore a range of positive adjectives that bring out the intellectual, emotional, interpersonal, and creative traits of the people you talk about.ย 

With each new adjective, Iโ€™ll provide the definition and an example of how to use the adjective in a sentence.

By the end, youโ€™ll not only have the vocabulary to describe anyone positively, but youโ€™ll also feel more confident in your ability to articulate your thoughts clearly in various social settings.ย 

Positive Adjectives to Describe People in English

Category #1: Intellectual Personality Traits

  • Adaptable
    • Def: someone who is able or willing to change to suit different conditions or people.
    • Ex. Maryam is easygoing and adaptable. Youโ€™ll love working with her.ย 
  • A Type A personality
    • Def: someone who is ambitious, goal-driven, focused on achievement, competitive, organized, proactive, and in control.
    • Ex. Iโ€™ve got a Type-A personality, so I enjoy managing various projects.
  • A Type B personality
    • Def: someone who is laidback, patient, easy-going, adaptable, even-tempered, creative, values having space, and able to manage stress.
    • Ex. My boss is super relaxed and easy to work with; Iโ€™m almost certain heโ€™s a Type B personality.ย 
  • Industrious
    • Def: a hard worker; someone who is skilled and diligent at work.
    • Ex. Uma is extremely competent and industrious. Sheโ€™s your go-to person if you have any questions.
  • Open-minded
    • Def: someone willing to accept and consider other views with value and broad-mindedness, regardless of alignment with their own.
    • Ex. As I connect with more women from around the world in my Confident Women English-Learning Community, I continue to become more and more open-minded.ย 
  • Perceptive
    • Def: someone who can notice and understand things that many people donโ€™t immediately recognize.
    • Ex. I highly recommend this book; the author is perceptive and intriguing.ย 
  • Resourceful
    • Def: someone skilled at solving problems and capable of devising a means to solve the problem.
    • Ex. I think we should consult with Vicky. Sheโ€™s incredibly resourceful and handles customers well.
  • Self-aware
    • Def: someone who knows and understands their personality very well; has a strong ability to monitor their inner world.
    • Ex. Milly is self-aware enough to know when sheโ€™s too dominant in a discussion.

Category #2: Emotional Personality Traits

  • A bubbly personality
    • Def: someone who is very happy, perky, and often optimistic.
    • Ex. My eldest daughter has a bubbly personality and is rather social.ย 
  • ย An old soul
    • Def: someone wise and thoughtful; someone who seems much older than they are with much wisdom.
    • Ex. Since childhood, Iโ€™ve been told I have an old soul. And quite often, my closest friends are much older than me.
  • A ray of sunshine
    • Def: a happy person who makes others happy; is warm, kind, and bright; someone who is a delight to be around.
    • Ex. Maxine is a delight to be around; sheโ€™s just a ray of sunshine.ย 
  • Optimistic
    • Def: a person who tends to be positive and believes good things will happen.
    • Ex. I appreciate Wilmaโ€™s ability to be optimistic, even when the team is feeling down.
  • Sincere
    • Def: someone who says what they genuinely feel or believe without deception.
    • Ex. Carol is sincere and genuinely cares about helping clients achieve their goals.
  • Sympathetic
    • Def: someone who is a good listener and listens to others’ problems; someone who expresses sympathy.
    • Ex. Gemma is sympathetic since she also experienced the pressures of moving to a new country.ย ย 

Category #3: Interpersonal Personality Traits

  • Affectionate
    • Def: someone who is loving and warm
    • Ex. My sisters are quite affectionate and never hesitate to show how much they value their loved ones.
  • Down-to-earth
    • Def: someone who is practical, realistic; sensible
    • Ex. Teresa is so down-to-earth! We should collaborate on projects more often.ย 
  • Easygoing
    • Def: someone who is mostly relaxed and calm
    • Ex. Pam is an easygoing landlord. If you have any issues, you can comfortably speak to her about it.ย ย 
  • Empathetic
    • Def: someone who understands the feelings of others and is attuned to them.
    • Ex. Felicia is compassionate and empathetic toward the new interns at the company.ย 
  • Gregarious
    • Def: someone who is full of life, very social, friendly; someone often described as the life of the party
    • Ex. Emmaโ€™s a gregarious, outgoing person.ย 
  • Social butterfly
    • Def: slang for someone dynamic, charismatic, and very social
    • Ex. Iโ€™m more of a social butterfly when around people Iโ€™ve known for a while.ย 
  • Thick-skinned
    • Def: someone who is not easily upset by criticism or insults
    • Ex. You have to be thick-skinned and adaptable to work in STEM.ย 
  • Witty
    • Def: someone who can express their thoughts amusingly and intelligently, often with humor.
    • Ex. I enjoy books by authors with a witty sense of humor and a good storytelling ability.ย 

Category #4: Powerful Personality Traits

  • Charismatic
    • Def: someone with great charm; one who inspires others or is compelling
    • Ex. As a leader, Liza is charismatic and commanding. She knows exactly how to motivate her team.ย 
  • Classy
    • Def: elegant; stylish; skillful; someone with high standards for behavior and looks.
    • Ex. My mother was a classy woman with a kind personality and good taste in modern art.ย 
  • Larger-than-life
    • Def: someone with a very strong personality; someone who impresses others
    • Ex. I didnโ€™t expect Tina to have a larger-than-life personality.ย 
  • Unassuming
    • Def: someone who is not arrogant about their abilities; humble; no desire to be noticed or praised
    • Ex. The older man next door was an unassuming and kind veteran.
  • Virtuous
    • Def: someone who has high moral standards and is morally excellent.
    • Ex. Beatrice is a virtuous woman who never demeans others.ย 

Category #5: Creative Personality Traits

  • Artistic
    • Def: someone who is very creative; someone who has a natural ability in art
    • Ex. Kiraโ€™s sculptures are gorgeous; sheโ€™s so artistic!
    • Bold
      • Def: someone willing to take risks and try new things, regardless of whether they will fail or succeed.
      • Ex. Jackie was a bold and honest woman; she was never afraid to tell you exactly what she thought.ย 
    • Natural-born ______
      • Def: someone who has a natural ability at something from a young age.
      • Ex. Your daughter is a natural-born artist. She has a great eye for color.
    • Tenacious
      • Def: someone who holds on to an idea or goal with determination.
      • Ex. Celeste is tenacious and never gives in during negotiations.ย 
    • Visionary
      • Def: someone who sees and imagines the future or possibilities.
      • Ex. Yulia is a visionary expert; she changed the field of AI with her groundbreaking ideas.ย 

    Now I’d love to hear from you.ย 

    After youโ€™ve watched the video and reviewed the key vocabulary, think of someone you admire very much. Perhaps itโ€™s your best friend, your boss, or your aunt.

    And then tell me about this person. Share your thoughts and describe this person with some of the language youโ€™ve learned from todayโ€™s lesson.

    The best place to share is in the comments below.

    Don’t forgetโ€”you can also download my worksheet to practice!

    ~ Annemarie

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