Adjectives To Describe A Person | Useful Adjectives You Can Use to Describe Someone

Last updated: June 14, 2021

The main function of an adjective is to describe, whether that be to describe a person, an object, a place, or an experience. It is important to include adjectives in sentences to express what you want to say with specific detail, especially if you are describing a very positive or very negative emotion. As well as giving specific information, descriptive adjectives make a sentence more complex and interesting.

Adjectives To Describe A Person

Adjectives used to describe a person can reference their physical appearance or their personality and the English language has plenty of adjectives to choose from to fit the context of the description. There are two types of adjectives that are used to describe a person: positive and negative.

Positive adjectives are used to describe things in a good way, to express positive emotions about them. Negative adjectives are used to express the opposite and can be used to insult the person that they describe. The same rules apply when using positive or negative adjectives to describe an object, a place, or an experience as well.

Adjectives Describe A Person’s Appearance

Positive Adjectives to Describe A Person’s Appearance

Below are some positive adjectives that can be used to describe a person’s appearance:

  1. Beautiful
  2. Handsome
  3. Pretty
  4. Glamorous
  5. Fashionable
  6. Cute
  7. Stunning
  8. Athletic
  9. Strong
  10. Attractive
  11. Striking
  12. Nice
  13. Adorable
  14. Happy
  15. Dazzling
  16. Charming
  17. Unique
  18. Relaxed
  19. Youthful
  20. Clean

Negative Adjectives to Describe A Person’s Appearance

Now, here are some negative adjectives that can be used to describe a person’s appearance:

  1. Ugly
  2. Vain
  3. Grumpy
  4. Gross
  5. Hideous
  6. Lazy
  7. Unhealthy
  8. Sneering
  9. Horrible
  10. Miserable
  11. Surly
  12. Weak
  13. Unnoticeable
  14. Plain
  15. Ostentatious
  16. Dirty
  17. Haggard
  18. Stiff
  19. Dowdy
  20. Uninteresting

Adjectives to Describe A Person’s Personality

Positive Adjectives to Describe A Person’s Personality

Below is a list of positive adjectives to describe a person’s personality:

  1. Clever
  2. Thoughtful
  3. Confident
  4. Sensible
  5. Kind
  6. Gentle
  7. Generous
  8. Honest
  9. Polite
  10. Trustworthy
  11. Hard-working
  12. Sincere
  13. Calm
  14. Excitable
  15. Cool
  16. Affectionate
  17. Determined
  18. Friendly
  19. Funny
  20. Likable

Negative Adjectives to Describe A Person’s Personality

And here is a list of negative adjectives that can be used to describe a person’s personality:

  1. Rude
  2. Impatient
  3. Nasty
  4. Unfaithful
  5. Boring
  6. Cruel
  7. Tactless
  8. Jealous
  9. Stupid
  10. Aggressive
  11. Deceitful
  12. Obnoxious
  13. Idle
  14. Unreliable
  15. Thoughtless
  16. Sneaky
  17. Obstinate
  18. Quarrelsome
  19. Resentful
  20. Ruthless

Adjectives are expressions of feelings and play an important role in communication because everyone uses adjectives in their own individual ways. There are several adjectives that are synonyms, so the meaning is the same, but you can use a different variation of that meaning depending on the situation. For instance, “pretty” and “beautiful” can be used synonymously to describe a person or a thing that is pleasing to the eye; however, “beautiful” tends to hold more weight because it asserts that the person or thing being described is “full of beauty”, whereas “pretty” implies the same to a lesser degree.

It is important to choose your adjectives carefully and to use words that are less loaded with meaning if you do not want to be as direct or hurtful when using negative adjectives. For example, calling someone “unproductive” implies that they are “lazy”, but without the insulting connotations of the adjective “lazy”. Both positive and negative adjectives can be altered by the tone of voice used to express them as well. Always remember that context matters when using adjectives to describe a person, whether they are positive adjectives or negative adjectives.

Adjectives to Describe a Person | Image

Adjectives To Describe A Person | Useful Adjectives You Can Use to Describe Someone


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