Whether you’re a teacher helping your students analyze characters, a mental health professional guiding your client, a writer coming up with a new character, or simply a person trying to better understand how to describe yourself and others — we’ve created this resource for you.
At Good Good Good, we share good news stories about people making a positive difference in the world. So, we’ll proudly admit our bias toward appreciating positive personality traits like Optimism, Generosity, Thoughtfulness, and more.
But humans are complex and we need a lot of words to describe them. And that’s why we’ve curated the most comprehensive list of personality traits on the internet.
What Are Personality Traits?
Simply put, personality traits are enduring characteristics that majorly play into our behavior and attitudes. They include aspects like extroversion, conscientiousness, openness, agreeableness, and neuroticism — but they also go far beyond that. Personality traits guide how we interact with others, perceive the world, and make decisions in our daily lives.
The Big Five Personality Traits
The Big Five personality traits are overarching categories that function as spectrums of personality: Openness varies from curiosity to cautiousness. Conscientiousness ranges from organized to careless. Extraversion covers outgoing to reserved personalities. Agreeableness ranges from compassionate to detached. And Neuroticism spans from sensitive to confident — reflecting emotional stability.
A number of independent researchers have independently found patterns of similar personality traits. It’s easy to remember these five personality traits with the acronym “OCEAN.”
- Openness
- Conscientiousness
- Extraversion
- Agreeableness
- Neuroticism
Of course, it’s impossible to boil down every personality trait into just “The Big Five” — so we’ve compiled a comprehensive list (perhaps the most comprehensive on the internet) of words to describe personalities. We hope you find it helpful!
It’s important to note: While we did organize this list into Positive, Negative, and Neutral personality traits — no list can perfectly capture any individual aspect of a person. Humans are complex and so are our personalities. Many aspects of who we are can be nuanced — and may fall in different categories based on the context.
Make sure you scroll through all three lists when looking for the perfect descriptive word.
You might also like: List of Good Character Traits | List of Emotions | List of Moods | List of Social Constructs | List of Positive Words | List of Positive Words To Describe Someone | List of ‘Word of the Year’ Ideas
Ultimate Character Traits List
Positive Personality Traits
- Accepting
- Accessible
- Accurate
- Active
- Activistic
- Adaptable
- Admirable
- Adventurous
- Advocative
- Affable
- Affectionate
- Agreeable
- Alert
- Allocentric
- Ambitious
- Amiable
- Amusing
- Anticipative
- Appreciative
- Artful
- Articulate
- Artistic
- Aspiring
- Athletic
- Attentive
- Attractive
- Authentic
- Balanced
- Benevolent
- Brave
- Breezy
- Bright
- Brilliant
- Broad-Minded
- Calm
- Capable
- Captivating
- Careful
- Caring
- Challenging
- Charismatic
- Charming
- Cheerful
- Chummy
- Circumspect
- Clean
- Clear-Headed
- Clever
- Colorful
- Compassionate
- Competent
- Complimentary
- Conciliatory
- Confident
- Congenial
- Conscientious
- Considerate
- Consistent
- Constant
- Constructive
- Contemplative
- Convincing
- Cooperative
- Courageous
- Courteous
- Creative
- Cultured
- Curious
- Cute
- Daring
- Debonair
- Decent
- Decisive
- Dedicated
- Deep
- Dependable
- Determined
- Dignified
- Diligent
- Diplomatic
- Directed
- Disciplined
- Discreet
- Dramatic
- Dreamer
- Driven
- Dutiful
- Dynamic
- Earnest
- Easygoing
- Ebullient
- Educated
- Efficient
- Elegant
- Eloquent
- Empathetic
- Empathic
- Encouraging
- Energetic
- Enthusiastic
- Esthetic
- Ethical
- Exciting
- Expressive
- Extraordinary
- Exuberant
- Fair
- Faithful
- Fancy
- Farsighted
- Fashionable
- Felicific
- Firm
- Flexible
- Focused
- Forceful
- Forgiving
- Forthright
- Frank
- Freethinking
- Friendly
- Fun-Loving
- Funny
- Gallant
- Generous
- Gentle
- Genuine
- Giving
- Good-Natured
- Gracious
- Grateful
- Gregarious
- Guileless
- Happy
- Hardworking
- Healthy
- Hearty
- Helpful
- Heroic
- High-Minded
- High-Spirited
- Honest
- Honorable
- Hopeful
- Humble
- Humorous
- Idealistic
- Imaginative
- Impressive
- Incisive
- Incorruptible
- Independent
- Individualistic
- Innovative
- Inoffensive
- Insightful
- Insouciant
- Intelligent
- Interesting
- Intuitive
- Inventive
- Invulnerable
- Joyful
- Kind
- Knowledge
- Knowledgeable
- Leader
- Leisurely
- Liberal
- Likable
- Logical
- Lovable
- Loving
- Loyal
- Lucky
- Lyrical
- Magnanimous
- Many-Sided
- Mature
- Mellow
- Methodical
- Meticulous
- Mindful
- Moderate
- Modern
- Modest
- Multi-Leveled
- Neat
- Nice
- Non-Authoritarian
- Nurturing
- Obedient
- Objective
- Observant
- Open
- Open-Minded
- Optimistic
- Orderly
- Organized
- Original
- Outgoing
- Outspoken
- Painstaking
- Passionate
- Paternalistic
- Patient
- Patriotic
- Peaceful
- Perceptive
- Perfectionist
- Persistent
- Personable
- Persuasive
- Philanthropic
- Placid
- Playful
- Polished
- Polite
- Popular
- Positive
- Practical
- Pragmatic
- Precise
- Principled
- Productive
- Professional
- Proficient
- Profound
- Progressive
- Protean
- Protective
- Proud
- Providential
- Prudent
- Purposeful
- Punctual
- Pure
- Purposeful
- Quiet
- Rational
- Realistic
- Reasonable
- Reflective
- Relaxed
- Reliable
- Reserved
- Resilient
- Resourceful
- Respectful
- Responsible
- Responsive
- Reverential
- Romantic
- Rustic
- Sage
- Sane
- Scholarly
- Scrupulous
- Secure
- Self-Assured
- Self-Confident
- Self-Critical
- Self-Denying
- Self-Disciplined
- Self-Effacing
- Self-Reliant
- Self-Sufficent
- Selfless
- Sensitive
- Sentimental
- Seraphic
- Serious
- Sexy
- Sharing
- Shrewd
- Simple
- Sincere
- Skilled
- Skillful
- Smart
- Sober
- Sociable
- Solid
- Sophisticated
- Spontaneous
- Stable
- Steadfast
- Steady
- Stoic
- Strong
- Studious
- Suave
- Subtle
- Successful
- Supportive
- Sweet
- Sympathetic
- Systematic
- Talented
- Talkative
- Tasteful
- Teacherly
- Thorough
- Thoughtful
- Thrifty
- Thrilling
- Tidy
- Tolerant
- Tractable
- Trusting
- Trustworthy
- Uncomplaining
- Understanding
- Undogmatic
- Unfoolable
- Unselfish
- Upright
- Urbane
- Venturesome
- Versatile
- Vivacious
- Warm
- Well-Mannered
- Well-Read
- Well-Rounded
- Wholesome
- Winning
- Wise
- Witty
- Youthful
- Zealous
→ Explore more positive words to describe someone
Negative Personality Traits
- Abrasive
- Abrasive
- Abrupt
- Afraid
- Aggressive
- Agonizing
- Aimless
- Airy
- Aloof
- Amoral
- Angry
- Anxious
- Apathetic
- Arbitrary
- Argumentative
- Arrogant
- Artificial
- Asocial
- Barbaric
- Bewildered
- Boisterous
- Bizarre
- Bland
- Blunt
- Boisterous
- Boorish
- Bossy
- Brittle
- Brutal
- Calculating
- Callous
- Cantankerous
- Careless
- Cautious
- Challenging
- Charmless
- Childish
- Closed-Minded
- Clumsy
- Coarse
- Cold
- Colorless
- Complacent
- Complaining
- Compulsive
- Conceited
- Condemnatory
- Conformist
- Confused
- Contemptible
- Conventional
- Cowardly
- Crafty
- Crass
- Crazy
- Criminal
- Critical
- Crude
- Cruel
- Cynical
- Decadent
- Deceitful
- Deceptive
- Delicate
- Demanding
- Dependent
- Desperate
- Destructive
- Devious
- Difficult
- Dirty
- Disconcerting
- Discontented
- Discouraging
- Discourteous
- Dishonest
- Disloyal
- Disobedient
- Disorderly
- Disorganized
- Disputatious
- Disrespectful
- Disruptive
- Dissolute
- Dissonant
- Distractible
- Disturbing
- Dogmatic
- Domineering
- Dull
- Easily Discouraged
- Egocentric
- Enervated
- Envious
- Erratic
- Escapist
- Excitable
- Expedient
- Extravagant
- Extreme
- Faithless
- Fanatical
- Fatalistic
- Fawning
- Fearful
- Fickle
- Fiery
- Finicky
- Fixed
- Flaky
- Flamboyant
- Foolish
- Forgetful
- Fraudulent
- Frightening
- Frivolous
- Gloomy
- Graceless
- Grand
- Greedy
- Grim
- Gullible
- Harsh
- Hateful
- Haughty
- Hedonistic
- Hesitant
- Hidebound
- High-Handed
- Hostile
- Ignorant
- Impulsive
- Imitative
- Impatient
- Impractical
- Imprudent
- Impulsive
- Inconsiderate
- Incurious
- Indecisive
- Indulgent
- Inert
- Inflexible
- Inhibited
- Insecure
- Insensitive
- Insincere
- Insulting
- Intense
- Intolerant
- Irascible
- Irrational
- Irresponsible
- Irreverent
- Irritable
- Jealous
- Judgmental
- Lazy
- Libidinous
- Loquacious
- Malicious
- Manipulative
- Mannered
- Mannerless
- Mawkish
- Mealymouthed
- Mechanical
- Meddlesome
- Meretricious
- Messy
- Mischievous
- Miserable
- Misguided
- Mistaken
- Money-Minded
- Monstrous
- Moody
- Morbid
- Muddle-Headed
- Naive
- Narcissistic
- Narrow
- Narrow-Minded
- Natty
- Needy
- Negative
- Negativistic
- Neglectful
- Nervous
- Neurotic
- Nihilistic
- Obnoxious
- Obsessive
- Obvious
- Odd
- Offhand
- One-Dimensional
- One-Sided
- Opinionated
- Opportunistic
- Oppressed
- Outrageous
- Overbearing
- Overimaginative
- Paranoid
- Passive
- Passive-Aggressive
- Pedantic
- Perverse
- Pessimistic
- Petty
- Pharisaical
- Phlegmatic
- Picky
- Plodding
- Pompous
- Possessive
- Power-Hungry
- Predatory
- Prejudiced
- Presumptuous
- Pretentious
- Prim
- Procrastinating
- Profligate
- Provocative
- Pugnacious
- Puritanical
- Quirky
- Reactionary
- Reactive
- Reckless
- Regimental
- Regretful
- Repentant
- Repressed
- Resentful
- Ridiculous
- Rigid
- Ritualistic
- Rowdy
- Rude
- Ruined
- Rustic
- Sadistic
- Sanctimonious
- Sarcastic
- Scheming
- Scornful
- Secretive
- Sedentary
- Self-Centered
- Self-Indulgent
- Selfish
- Shallow
- Short-Tempered
- Shortsighted
- Single-Minded
- Sloppy
- Slovenly
- Sly
- Small-Thinking
- Sneaky
- Softheaded
- Sordid
- Steely
- Stiff
- Stingy
- Strong-Willed
- Stubborn
- Stupid
- Submissive
- Superficial
- Superstitious
- Surly
- Suspicious
- Tactless
- Tasteless
- Temperamental
- Tense
- Thievish
- Thoughtless
- Timid
- Treacherous
- Troublesome
- Unappreciative
- Unassertive
- Uncaring
- Uncertain
- Uncharitable
- Unconvincing
- Uncooperative
- Uncreative
- Uncritical
- Unctuous
- Undisciplined
- Unforgiving
- Unfriendly
- Ungrateful
- Unhealthy
- Unimaginative
- Unimpressive
- Unlovable
- Unpolished
- Unpredictable
- Unprincipled
- Unrealistic
- Unreflective
- Unreliable
- Unresponsive
- Unrestrained
- Unstable
- Vacuous
- Vague
- Vain
- Venal
- Venomous
- Vindictive
- Violent
- Vulgar
- Vulnerable
- Weak
- Weak-Willed
- Willful
- Wishful
Other or Neutral Personality Traits
- Absentminded
- Ambitious
- Amusing
- Artful
- Ascetic
- Assertive
- Authoritarian
- Big-Thinking
- Boyish
- Breezy
- Businesslike
- Busy
- Calculating
- Casual
- Cerebral
- Chummy
- Circumspect
- Competitive
- Complex
- Confidential
- Conservative
- Contradictory
- Cerebral
- Crisp
- Cute
- Deceptive
- Delicate
- Determined
- Dominating
- Dreamy
- Driving
- Droll
- Dry
- Earthy
- Effeminate
- Emotional
- Enigmatic
- Experimental
- Extraverted
- Familial
- Feminine
- Firm
- Folksy
- Formal
- Freewheeling
- Frugal
- Glamorous
- Guileless
- Hedonistic
- High-Spirited
- Hurried
- Hypnotic
- Iconoclastic
- Idiosyncratic
- Impassive
- Impersonal
- Impressionable
- Intense
- Introverted
- Invisible
- Irreligious
- Irreverent
- Liberal
- Logical
- Manly
- Masculine
- Maternal
- Melancholic
- Mellow
- Modern
- Moralistic
- Mystical
- Neutral
- Noncommittal
- Noncompetitive
- Obedient
- Old-Fashioned
- Ordinary
- Outspoken
- Paternalistic
- Patriotic
- Physical
- Placid
- Political
- Predictable
- Preoccupied
- Prim
- Private
- Progressive
- Proud
- Pure
- Questioning
- Quiet
- Quirky
- Religious
- Reserved
- Restrained
- Retiring
- Sarcastic
- Self-Conscious
- Sensual
- Shy
- Silly
- Skeptical
- Slow
- Sly
- Smooth
- Soft
- Solemn
- Solitary
- Stern
- Stoic
- Strict
- Stubborn
- Stylish
- Subjective
- Surprising
- Tough
- Transparent
- Trendy
- Unaggressive
- Unambitious
- Unceremonious
- Unchanging
- Undemanding
- Undogmatic
- Unfathomable
- Unhurried
- Uninhibited
- Unpatriotic
- Unpredictable
- Unreligious
- Unsentimental
- Well-Meaning
- Whimsical
- Zany
→ Explore more qualities of a person
