List Of Character Traits

Here’s a list of character traits. Use it as an inspiration when you’re creating characters.

I was going to divide it into ‘good’ traits and ‘bad’ traits, but I decided not to, for the reason that ‘good’ and ‘bad’ are subjective in many ways. One person’s lazy is another person’s relaxed. One person’s bossy is another person’s organised or assertive, after all.

Also, many of the words used here are deliberately vague so you can use the traits as jump-off platforms for your own ideas. For example, the word ‘obliging’ is given as a character trait. How you use that is up to you: it could be a nice and kind trait for a character, or it could be a burden to them as they put being obliging to others over their own needs. Maybe part of their back story is that they somehow learned they had to subjugate themself to others. How did that happen? Does it have much bearing on the plot? Is overcoming that tendency part of their character arc? Do you see how that one word, ‘obliging’ can be applied in different ways. As Shakespeare said, there’s nothing good nor bad but thinking makes it so.

I’ve also used word like ‘annoyed’ which strictly speaking isn’t a character trait at all, as it’s a temporary condition. But you might consider that as applying to a character who tends to be easily annoyed, for example.

There’s a suggestion on how to use this list of character traits on the page on character sketches

 

  1. Able
  2. Absent-minded
  3. Active
  4. Adventurous
  5. Affable
  6. Affected
  7. Affectionate
  8. Afraid
  9. Aggressive
  10. Alert
  11. Ambitious
  12. Amiable
  13. Angry
  14. Animated
  15. Annoyed
  16. Committed
  17. Communicative
  18. compassionate
  19. Competent
  20. Complacent
  21. Conceited
  22. Concerned
  23. Confident
  24. Confused
  25. Conscientious
  26. Considerate
  27. Consistent
  28. Contented
  29. Cooperative
  30. Courageous
  31. Easygoing
  32. Effervescent
  33. Efficient
  34. Eloquent
  35. Embarrassed
  36. Encouraging
  37. Energetic
  38. Enthusiastic
  39. Equable
  40. Ethical
  41. Evil
  42. Exacting
  43. Excessive
  44. Excitable
  45. Excited
  46. Grumpy
  47. Guilty
  48. Gullible
  49. Handsome
  50. Happy
  51. Hard-working
  52. Hardy
  53. Harried
  54. Harsh
  55. Hateful
  56. Haughty
  57. Healthy
  58. Helpful
  59. Hesitant
  60. Honest
  61. Languid
  62. Lazy
  63. Leader
  64. Lean
  65. Left-brain
  66. Liar
  67. Licentious
  68. Light
  69. Light-hearted
  70. Limited
  71. Lively
  72. Logical
  73. Lonely
  74. Loquacious
  75. Loud
  76. Playful
  77. pleasant
  78. Pleasing
  79. Polite
  80. Poor
  81. Popular
  82. Positive
  83. Precise
  84. Pretty
  85. Prim
  86. Primitive
  87. Proper
  88. Proud
  89. Prudent
  90. Punctual
  91. Short
  92. Shrewd
  93. Shy
  94. Silly
  95. Simple
  96. simple-minded
  97. Sincere
  98. Single-Minded
  99. skillful
  100. Sly
  101. Smart
  102. Sneaky
  103. Soft-hearted
  104. Solitary
  105. Sorry
  106. Ungrateful
  107. Unhappy
  108. Unkind
  109. Unmerciful
  110. Unselfish
  111. Unsuitable
  112. Upset
  113. Useful
  114. Vacant
  115. Violent
  116. Virtuous
  117. Warm
  118. Weak
  119. Wicked
  120. Wild
  121. Anxious
  122. apologetic
  123. Appreciative
  124. Argumentative
  125. Arrogant
  126. Attentive
  127. Austere
  128. Average
  129. Awkward
  130. Babyish
  131. Bad
  132. Bashful
  133. Bewildered
  134. Blasé
  135. Blowhard
  136. Cowardly
  137. Crafty
  138. Creative
  139. Critical
  140. Cross
  141. Cruel
  142. Cultured
  143. Curious
  144. Dainty
  145. Dangerous
  146. Daring
  147. Dark
  148. Dauntless
  149. Decisive
  150. Deferential
  151. Expert
  152. Exuberant
  153. Facetious
  154. Fair
  155. Faithful
  156. Faithless
  157. Fanciful
  158. Fearful
  159. Fearless
  160. Feisty
  161. ferocious
  162. Fidgety
  163. Fierce
  164. Fighter
  165. Finicky
  166. Hopeful
  167. Hopeless
  168. Hospitable
  169. Hot-tempered
  170. Humble
  171. Humorous
  172. Ignorant
  173. Ill-bred
  174. Imaginative
  175. Immaculate
  176. Immature
  177. immobile
  178. Impartial
  179. Impatient
  180. impolite
  181. Lovable
  182. Loves challenge
  183. Loving
  184. Loyal
  185. Lucky
  186. Malicious
  187. Mannerly
  188. Mature
  189. Mean
  190. Meek
  191. Merciful
  192. Messy
  193. Meticulous
  194. Mischievous
  195. Miserable
  196. Purposeful
  197. Quarrelsome
  198. Quick
  199. Quick-tempered
  200. Quiet
  201. Rational
  202. Reasonable
  203. Reckless
  204. Relaxed
  205. Reliable
  206. Religious
  207. Repugnant
  208. Repulsive
  209. Reserved
  210. Resourceful
  211. Spendthrift
  212. Spoiled
  213. Sterile
  214. Stern
  215. Stingy
  216. Strange
  217. Strict
  218. Strong
  219. Stubborn
  220. Studious
  221. Submissive
  222. Successful
  223. Superstitious
  224. Supportive
  225. Suspicious
  226. Wise
  227. Wishy-washy
  228. Withdrawn
  229. Witty
  230. Worried
  231. Wrong
  232. Young
  233. Zany
  234. Boastful
  235. Bold
  236. Boorish
  237. Bored
  238. Bossy
  239. Brainy
  240. Brave
  241. Bright
  242. Brilliant
  243. Brutish
  244. Busy
  245. Calm
  246. Candid
  247. Capable
  248. Carefree
  249. Demanding
  250. Dependable
  251. Depressed
  252. Desiccated
  253. Despondent
  254. Determined
  255. Devoted
  256. Diligent
  257. Disaffected
  258. Disagreeable
  259. Discerning
  260. discontented
  261. Discouraged
  262. Discreet
  263. Dishonest
  264. Flexible
  265. Foolish
  266. Forgetful
  267. Forgiving
  268. Formal
  269. Fortunate
  270. Foul
  271. Frank
  272. fresh
  273. friendly
  274. Frightened
  275. Frustrated
  276. Fun loving
  277. Funny
  278. Furious
  279. Impudent
  280. Impulsive
  281. Inactive
  282. Inconsiderate
  283. Inconsistent
  284. Indecisive
  285. independent
  286. Indiscriminate
  287. Indolent
  288. Industrious
  289. Inefficient
  290. Inimitable
  291. Innocent
  292. Insecure
  293. Insincere
  294. Moody
  295. Mysterious
  296. Nagging
  297. Naïve
  298. Naughty
  299. Neat
  300. Negligent
  301. Nervous
  302. Nice
  303. No purpose
  304. Noisy
  305. Not trustworthy
  306. Obedient
  307. Obliging
  308. Observant
  309. Respectful
  310. Responsible
  311. Restless
  312. Rich
  313. Rigid
  314. Risk-taking
  315. Rough
  316. rowdy
  317. Rude
  318. Ruthless
  319. Sad
  320. Safe
  321. Satisfied
  322. Scared
  323. Scatty
  324. Sweet
  325. Tactful
  326. Tactless
  327. Talented
  328. Talkative
  329. Tall
  330. Tardy
  331. Temperate
  332. Thankful
  333. Thorough
  334. Thoughtful
  335. Thoughtless
  336. Thrifty
  337. Thrilled
  338. Timid
  339. Careful
  340. Careless
  341. Caring
  342. Caustic
  343. Cautious
  344. Changeable
  345. Charismatic
  346. Charming
  347. Cheerful
  348. Civilised
  349. Clever
  350. Clumsy
  351. Coarse
  352. Cold-hearted
  353. Commitment-phobe
  354. Disillusioned
  355. Disloyal
  356. Dismayed
  357. Disorganized
  358. Disparaging
  359. Disrespectful
  360. Dissatisfied
  361. Distressed
  362. Domineering
  363. Doubtful
  364. Dreamer
  365. Dreamy
  366. Dull
  367. Dutiful
  368. Eager
  369. Fussy
  370. Garrulous
  371. Generous
  372. Gentle
  373. Giddy
  374. Gives up easily
  375. Giving
  376. Glamorous
  377. Gloomy
  378. Glum
  379. Good
  380. graceful
  381. Greedy
  382. Gregarious
  383. Grouchy
  384. Insipid
  385. Insistent
  386. Insolent
  387. Intelligent
  388. Intolerant
  389. Intrepid
  390. Inventive
  391. Jealous
  392. Jolly
  393. Jovial
  394. Joyful
  395. Keen
  396. Kind
  397. Kindly
  398. Lackadaisical
  399. Open
  400. Optimistic
  401. Organised
  402. Outspoken
  403. Patient
  404. Patriotic
  405. Peaceful
  406. Perserverant
  407. Persistent
  408. Persuasive
  409. Perverse
  410. Pessimistic
  411. Picky
  412. Pitiful
  413. Plain
  414. Scheming
  415. Scrawny
  416. Scruffy
  417. Secretive
  418. Secure
  419. Self-centered
  420. Self-confident
  421. Self-controlling
  422. Selfish
  423. Sensitive
  424. Sentimental
  425. Serious
  426. Sharp
  427. Sharp-witted
  428. Shiftless
  429. Tired
  430. Tireless
  431. Tolerant
  432. Touchy
  433. Tough
  434. Trusting
  435. Trustworthy
  436. Truthful
  437. Ugly
  438. Unconcerned
  439. Uncoordinated
  440. Undependable
  441. Understanding
  442. Unforgiving
  443. Unfriendly

 

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