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
- Able
- Absent-minded
- Active
- Adventurous
- Affable
- Affected
- Affectionate
- Afraid
- Aggressive
- Alert
- Ambitious
- Amiable
- Angry
- Animated
- Annoyed
- Committed
- Communicative
- compassionate
- Competent
- Complacent
- Conceited
- Concerned
- Confident
- Confused
- Conscientious
- Considerate
- Consistent
- Contented
- Cooperative
- Courageous
- Easygoing
- Effervescent
- Efficient
- Eloquent
- Embarrassed
- Encouraging
- Energetic
- Enthusiastic
- Equable
- Ethical
- Evil
- Exacting
- Excessive
- Excitable
- Excited
- Grumpy
- Guilty
- Gullible
- Handsome
- Happy
- Hard-working
- Hardy
- Harried
- Harsh
- Hateful
- Haughty
- Healthy
- Helpful
- Hesitant
- Honest
- Languid
- Lazy
- Leader
- Lean
- Left-brain
- Liar
- Licentious
- Light
- Light-hearted
- Limited
- Lively
- Logical
- Lonely
- Loquacious
- Loud
- Playful
- pleasant
- Pleasing
- Polite
- Poor
- Popular
- Positive
- Precise
- Pretty
- Prim
- Primitive
- Proper
- Proud
- Prudent
- Punctual
- Short
- Shrewd
- Shy
- Silly
- Simple
- simple-minded
- Sincere
- Single-Minded
- skillful
- Sly
- Smart
- Sneaky
- Soft-hearted
- Solitary
- Sorry
- Ungrateful
- Unhappy
- Unkind
- Unmerciful
- Unselfish
- Unsuitable
- Upset
- Useful
- Vacant
- Violent
- Virtuous
- Warm
- Weak
- Wicked
- Wild
- Anxious
- apologetic
- Appreciative
- Argumentative
- Arrogant
- Attentive
- Austere
- Average
- Awkward
- Babyish
- Bad
- Bashful
- Bewildered
- Blasé
- Blowhard
- Cowardly
- Crafty
- Creative
- Critical
- Cross
- Cruel
- Cultured
- Curious
- Dainty
- Dangerous
- Daring
- Dark
- Dauntless
- Decisive
- Deferential
- Expert
- Exuberant
- Facetious
- Fair
- Faithful
- Faithless
- Fanciful
- Fearful
- Fearless
- Feisty
- ferocious
- Fidgety
- Fierce
- Fighter
- Finicky
- Hopeful
- Hopeless
- Hospitable
- Hot-tempered
- Humble
- Humorous
- Ignorant
- Ill-bred
- Imaginative
- Immaculate
- Immature
- immobile
- Impartial
- Impatient
- impolite
- Lovable
- Loves challenge
- Loving
- Loyal
- Lucky
- Malicious
- Mannerly
- Mature
- Mean
- Meek
- Merciful
- Messy
- Meticulous
- Mischievous
- Miserable
- Purposeful
- Quarrelsome
- Quick
- Quick-tempered
- Quiet
- Rational
- Reasonable
- Reckless
- Relaxed
- Reliable
- Religious
- Repugnant
- Repulsive
- Reserved
- Resourceful
- Spendthrift
- Spoiled
- Sterile
- Stern
- Stingy
- Strange
- Strict
- Strong
- Stubborn
- Studious
- Submissive
- Successful
- Superstitious
- Supportive
- Suspicious
- Wise
- Wishy-washy
- Withdrawn
- Witty
- Worried
- Wrong
- Young
- Zany
- Boastful
- Bold
- Boorish
- Bored
- Bossy
- Brainy
- Brave
- Bright
- Brilliant
- Brutish
- Busy
- Calm
- Candid
- Capable
- Carefree
- Demanding
- Dependable
- Depressed
- Desiccated
- Despondent
- Determined
- Devoted
- Diligent
- Disaffected
- Disagreeable
- Discerning
- discontented
- Discouraged
- Discreet
- Dishonest
- Flexible
- Foolish
- Forgetful
- Forgiving
- Formal
- Fortunate
- Foul
- Frank
- fresh
- friendly
- Frightened
- Frustrated
- Fun loving
- Funny
- Furious
- Impudent
- Impulsive
- Inactive
- Inconsiderate
- Inconsistent
- Indecisive
- independent
- Indiscriminate
- Indolent
- Industrious
- Inefficient
- Inimitable
- Innocent
- Insecure
- Insincere
- Moody
- Mysterious
- Nagging
- Naïve
- Naughty
- Neat
- Negligent
- Nervous
- Nice
- No purpose
- Noisy
- Not trustworthy
- Obedient
- Obliging
- Observant
- Respectful
- Responsible
- Restless
- Rich
- Rigid
- Risk-taking
- Rough
- rowdy
- Rude
- Ruthless
- Sad
- Safe
- Satisfied
- Scared
- Scatty
- Sweet
- Tactful
- Tactless
- Talented
- Talkative
- Tall
- Tardy
- Temperate
- Thankful
- Thorough
- Thoughtful
- Thoughtless
- Thrifty
- Thrilled
- Timid
- Careful
- Careless
- Caring
- Caustic
- Cautious
- Changeable
- Charismatic
- Charming
- Cheerful
- Civilised
- Clever
- Clumsy
- Coarse
- Cold-hearted
- Commitment-phobe
- Disillusioned
- Disloyal
- Dismayed
- Disorganized
- Disparaging
- Disrespectful
- Dissatisfied
- Distressed
- Domineering
- Doubtful
- Dreamer
- Dreamy
- Dull
- Dutiful
- Eager
- Fussy
- Garrulous
- Generous
- Gentle
- Giddy
- Gives up easily
- Giving
- Glamorous
- Gloomy
- Glum
- Good
- graceful
- Greedy
- Gregarious
- Grouchy
- Insipid
- Insistent
- Insolent
- Intelligent
- Intolerant
- Intrepid
- Inventive
- Jealous
- Jolly
- Jovial
- Joyful
- Keen
- Kind
- Kindly
- Lackadaisical
- Open
- Optimistic
- Organised
- Outspoken
- Patient
- Patriotic
- Peaceful
- Perserverant
- Persistent
- Persuasive
- Perverse
- Pessimistic
- Picky
- Pitiful
- Plain
- Scheming
- Scrawny
- Scruffy
- Secretive
- Secure
- Self-centered
- Self-confident
- Self-controlling
- Selfish
- Sensitive
- Sentimental
- Serious
- Sharp
- Sharp-witted
- Shiftless
- Tired
- Tireless
- Tolerant
- Touchy
- Tough
- Trusting
- Trustworthy
- Truthful
- Ugly
- Unconcerned
- Uncoordinated
- Undependable
- Understanding
- Unforgiving
- Unfriendly