450+ Powerful Adjectives to Describe a Person (With Examples)

No matter what you’re writing, whether that be a heartfelt memoir, a thrilling whodunit, or a page-turning romantasy series, you’ll need a reliable list of adjectives to bring your characters to life. These illustrative words can aid your readers in forming a multifaceted, intriguing image of the heroes and villains gracing your pages.

In this post, we’ll share over 450 adjectives you can use to describe a character’s physical attributes, disposition, and emotional state. Read on to find out what they are!

What is an adjective?

Before we list all the adjectives you can use to enrich your writing, let’s quickly review what they are and why they matter.

An adjective is a word that describes people, places, things, and ideas. Authors use adjectives all the time — in fact, choosing the right adjective can make all the difference in your own writing. Take a look at the following lines:

“His school jacket of cloth with buttons must have been tight about the arm-holes… His legs, in stockings, looked out from beneath trousers… He wore boots.”

Now, let’s add a few adjectives to this sentence:

“His short school jacket of green cloth with black buttons must have been tight about the arm-holes… His legs, in blue stockings, looked out from beneath yellow trousers… He wore stout, ill-cleaned, hob-nailed boots.”

This excerpt comes from Gustave Flaubert’s classic novel Madame Bovary. The adjectives here help to paint a more vivid image of the character Charles Bovary: first, by showing that he has a horrible sense of style, and second, by hinting that he might belong to a poor family.

Adjectives, therefore, help to develop a richer narrative and are an essential part of character development.

While there are countless adjectives that can be used to describe both living creatures and inanimate objects, we’ll focus on those that can paint a picture of a character’s appearance and inner world. 

Physical adjectives

If asked to describe a fictional character with an unforgettable appearance, what would you say? Would you talk about a grotesque character with yellow skin, black lips, and a shriveled complexion, like Frankenstein’s monster? How about a gorgeous, golden-haired swordsman with a missing right hand, à la Jamie Lannister?

One way to make your own characters stand out to your readers is by giving them memorable physical characteristics. Use the words below to inform your readers of your character’s outer appearance. In addition to their eye and hair color, how else can you describe them?

Trait		Other Adjectives
Handsome	Attractive	Fetching	Pretty
	Beautiful	Good-looking	Striking
	Dashing	Gorgeous	Stunning

“Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her." – Jane Austen, Emma

Ugly	Displeasing	Hideous	Unattractive
	Ghastly	Repulsive	Unpleasant
	Grotesque	Revolting	Unsightly

“I had gazed on him while unfinished; he was ugly then, but when those muscles and joints were rendered capable of motion, it became a thing such as even Dante could not have conceived.” — Mary Shelley, Frankenstein

Plain	Average	Mediocre	Plain-looking
	Forgettable	Ordinary-looking	Unexceptional
	Homely	Plain-featured	Unremarkable

“The worst of Bath was the number of its plain women. He did not mean to say there were not pretty women, but the number of the plain was out of all proportion.” – Jane Austen, Persuasion

Aged	Ancient	Gray-haired	Old
	Centenarian	Mature	Senior
	Elderly	Nonagenarian	Wrinkled

“In his aged face under great snowy brows his eyes were set like coals that could suddenly burst into fire.” – J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

Young	Adolescent	Girlish	Teenaged
	Boyish	Immature	Underage
	Childlike	Juvenile	Youthful

“Young people, nowadays, imagine that money is everything.” – Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Tall	Colossal	Gigantic	Monstrous
	Gangling	Long-legged	Towering
	Giant	Massive	Statuesque

“He was a very tall, thin man, with a long nose like a beak, which jutted out between two keen gray eyes, set closely together and sparkling brightly from behind a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.” – Arthur Conan Doyle, The Hound of the Baskervilles

Short	Diminutive	Pint-sized	Stubby
	Little	Short-legged	Teeny
	Petite	Small	Tiny

“He was a man of about five and thirty, short, stout even to corpulence, and clean shaven.” – Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment

Sophisticated	Chic	Elegant	Regal
	Dapper	Majestic	Stately
	Dignified	Noble	Stylish

“He thinks himself rather an exceptional young man, thoroughly sophisticated, well adjusted to his environment, and somewhat more significant than any one else he knows.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Beautiful and Damned

Feeble	Decrepit	Frail	Unwell
	Delicate	Infirm	Wan
	Doddering	Sickly	Weak

“I am so miserable, there are so many questions, I can see no way out and am so wretched and feeble that I could lie forever on the sofa and keep opening and closing my eyes without knowing the difference.” – Franz Kafka, Letters to Felice

Muscular	Athletic	Fit	Robust
	Brawny	Herculean	Strong
	Burly	Powerful	Sturdy

“They’re just as muscular here, just as tramplingly extraverted, as they are with you.” – Aldous Huxley, Island

Stout	Big	Large	Plus-size
	Chubby	Overweight	Pot-bellied
	Heavy	Plump	Portly

“Perry, the manager, had come up with him, in trousers and bathrobe. He was a stout, jovial-looking man ordinarily…” – Cornell Woolrich, Mystery in Room 913

Thin	Angular	Scrawny	Slim
	Bony	Skinny	Underweight
	Lean	Slender	Willowy

“He was tall, thin, and bony; and his hair was red beneath the black cap. His face was crumpled and freckled, and ugly without silliness.” — William Golding, Lord of the Flies

Next, let’s look at some adjectives you can use to describe the way your characters act or respond to another character or a particular situation.

Behavioral adjectives

Adjectives that describe behavior often fall into two camps: positive ones, which we tend to reserve for heroes, and negative ones, which we associate with villains. That being said, well-written characters are complex, and often have mixed traits. 

Moreover, characters can and should change as part of their narrative arc. Think Macbeth, a courageous and honorable Scottish general who eventually becomes an ambitious killer. Or Frodo Baggins, who starts off as shy and reserved before morphing into a brave leader over the course of his journey. 

So when looking at these behavioral adjectives, also consider how they may fit into your character’s arc.

Positive behavioral adjectives

Trait	Other Adjectives
Valiant	Adventurous	Dauntless	Heroic
	Bold	Fearless	Plucky
	Courageous	Gallant	Valorous

“Defeat is for the valiant. Only they will know the honor of losing and the joy of winning.” – Paulo Coelho, Manuscript Found in Accra

Agreeable	Courteous	Gracious	Respectful
	Decorous	Pleasant	Well-behaved
	Gallant	Polite	Well-mannered

“He was quite young, wonderfully handsome, extremely agreeable, and to crown the whole, he meant to be at the next assembly with a large party.” — Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice 

Sensible	Analytical	Logical	Rational
	Cerebral	Practical	Realistic
	Judicious	Pragmatic	Reasonable

“She was sensible and clever; but eager in everything; her sorrows, her joys, could have no moderation.” – Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility

Clever	Astute	Intelligent	Sharp
	Bright	Knowledgeable	Smart
	Brilliant	Quick-witted	Wise

“A clever, ugly man every now and then is successful with the ladies, but a handsome fool is irresistible.” – William Makepeace Thackeray, The History of Henry Esmond

Patient	Accommodating	Long-suffering	Uncomplaining
	Forbearing	Stoical	Understanding
	Forgiving	Tolerant	Unexcitable

“He seemed a sullen, patient child; hardened, perhaps, to ill-treatment.” – Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights

Amiable	Affable	Cordial	Hospitable
	Congenial	Friendly	Warm
	Convivial	Genial	Welcoming

“Many showed themselves obliging, and amiable too; and I discovered amongst them not a few examples of natural politeness, and innate self-respect, as well as of excellent capacity, that won both my goodwill and my admiration.” – Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

Good-natured	Benevolent	Considerate	Kind
	Big-hearted	Good-hearted	Nice
	Compassionate	Helpful	Thoughtful

“He was a mild, good-natured, sweet-tempered, easy-going, foolish, dear fellow.” – Charles Dickens, Great Expectations 

Eloquent	Articulate	Persuasive	Silver-tongued
	Graceful	Poised	Smooth-tongued
	Influential	Refined	Well-spoken

“She sought to be eloquent in her garments, and to make up for her diffidence of speech by a fine frankness of costume.” – Henry James, Washington Square

Cheerful	Buoyant	Hopeful	Positive
	Cheery	Lighthearted	Sanguine
	Forward-looking	Optimistic	Upbeat

“Really cheerful people are usually the bravest...” – Ernest Hemingway, “The Denunciation”

Affectionate	Adoring	Caring	Sweet
	Affable	Devoted	Sympathetic
	Amorous	Loving	Tenderhearted

“It was all owing to his too affectionate nature, which craved for admiration.” – J. M. Barrie, Peter Pan

Reflective	Contemplative	Inward-looking	Self-analyzing
	Insightful	Meditative	Self-examining
	Introspective	Pensive	Self-observing

“She was so quiet. So reflective. And she could erase herself, her spirit, with a swiftness that truly startled, when she knew the people around her could not respect it.” – Alice Walker, The Color Purple

Negative behavioral adjectives

Trait	Other Adjectives
Proud	Cocky	Overbearing	Snobbish
	Conceited	Overconfident	Smug
	Haughty	Pompous	Supercilious

“He was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world, and everybody hoped that he would never come there again." – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice 

Mysterious	Close-mouthed	Enigmatic	Taciturn
	Discreet	Inscrutable	Tight-lipped
	Evasive	Secretive	Uncommunicative

“Some people maintained that he was a mysterious person, and that no one ever entered his chamber, which was a regular anchorite’s cell, furnished with winged hour-glasses and enlivened by crossbones and skulls of dead men!” – Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

Fierce	Aggressive	Bellicose	Defiant
	Antagonistic	Belligerent	Hostile
	Argumentative	Confrontational	Violent

“He is not a rough diamond — a pearl-containing oyster of a rustic; he’s a fierce, pitiless, wolfish man." – Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights

Timid	Bashful	Meek	Sheepish
	Diffident	Reserved	Shy
	Introverted	Reticent	Withdrawn

“For someone like myself in whom the ability to trust others is so cracked and broken that I am wretchedly timid and am forever trying to read the expression on people's faces.” – Osamu Dazai, No Longer Human

Apprehensive	Doubtful	Mistrustful	Self-effacing
	Hesitant	Self-conscious	Uncertain
	Insecure	Self-doubting	Unconfident

“They stopped at an oak tree, delighted, puzzled, apprehensive.” – Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

Presumptuous	Audacious	Discourteous	Impolite
	Bad-mannered	Disrespectful	Impudent
	Churlish	Ill-mannered	Rude

“I am a private detective. I am paid to be inquisitive and presumptuous.” – Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul

Prickly	Bad-tempered	Curmudgeonly	Irritable
	Cantankerous	Grouchy	Sensitive
	Crabby	Ill-natured	Surly

“They all said she was pretentious, awkward, difficult to approach, prickly, too fond of her tales, haughty, prone to versifying, disdainful, cantankerous, and scornful.” – Murasaki Shikibu, The Diary of Lady Murasaki

Talkative	Babbling	Conversational	Loquacious
	Blathering	Garrulous	Rambling
	Chatty	Gossipy	Verbose

“Like most quiet folks he liked talkative people when they were willing to do the talking themselves and did not expect him to keep up his end of it.” – L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Silly	Brainless	Idiotic	Slow-witted
	Dense	Ignorant	Vapid
	Foolish	Mindless	Witless

“She’ll not laugh in the sun again. She’ll not dress up and smile at herself in that damnable looking-glass. Vain, silly creature.” — Jean Rhys, Wide Sargasso Sea 

Odious	Abhorrent	Hateful	Unkind
	Despicable	Horrible	Vicious
	Detestable	Loathsome	Vile

“Be gone, odious wasp!” – Norton Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth

Tightfisted	Avaricious	Parsimonious	Scroogelike
	Close-fisted	Penny-pinching	Stingy
	Miserly	Penurious	Ungenerous

“He was a tightfisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge!" – Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

Disillusioned	Bleak	Downbeat	Negative
	Cynical	Fatalistic	Pessimistic
	Defeatist	Hardened	Skeptical

“Pitiful is the person who is afraid of taking risks. Perhaps this person will never be disappointed or disillusioned; perhaps she won’t suffer the way people do when they have a dream to follow.” – Paulo Coelho, By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept 

Lethargic	Idle	Inert	Slothful
	Indolent	Languid	Slow-moving
	Inactive	Lazy	Sluggish

“The people do not complain because they have no voice; do not move because they are lethargic, and you say that they do not suffer because you have not seen their hearts bleed.” – José Rizal, Noli Me Tángere 

Impassive	Aloof	Detached	Indifferent
	Apathetic	Dispassionate	Stoic
	Cold	Expressionless	Unemotional

“Javert was impassive; his grave face betrayed nothing of his feelings.” – Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

Dull	Bland	Stodgy	Unexciting
	Boring	Tiresome	Uninspiring
	Charmless	Uncharismatic	Uninteresting

“While he was so dull, it was no wonder that Harriet should be dull likewise; and they were both insufferable.” – Jane Austen, Emma

Okay, that's quite a handful of behavioral adjectives! But since behavior is typically influenced by one’s emotions, that brings us to...

Emotional adjectives

Over the course of a story, a character will experience all kinds of feelings. For example, in Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet must come to terms with her growing romantic feelings for Mr. Darcy — a man who initially made her upset due to his arrogant demeanor — as she learns about his true generous nature. In Wuthering Heights, Cathy Earnshaw feels intense, passionate love for Heathcliff, only to become jealous and unhappy because of his cruel, manipulative nature.

Making your characters grapple with conflicting or overwhelming emotions can help readers find them not only more realistic, but also more relatable. So let’s look at some ways you can describe their inner landscape.

Trait	Other Adjectives
Angry	Enraged	Infuriated	Seething
	Furious	Irate	Upset
	Incensed	Raging	Wrathful

“She was feeling, thinking, trembling about everything; agitated, happy, miserable, infinitely obliged, absolutely angry." – Jane Austen, Mansfield Park

Jealous	Begrudging	Desirous	Malicious
	Bitter	Envious	Resentful
	Covetous	Grudging	Spiteful

“When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: the people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous and surly.” – Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 

Unhappy	Crestfallen	Glum	Miserable
	Dejected	Grief-stricken	Sad
	Gloomy	Melancholic	Sorrowful

“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God.” – Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl

Calm	Peaceful	Serene	Unflappable
	Relaxed	Tranquil	Untroubled
	Sedate	Unbothered	Unperturbed

“Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts, as much as their brothers do…” – Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre 

Disgruntled	Agitated	Distressed	Resentful
	Annoyed	Exasperated	Stressed
	Cross	Irritable	Vexed

“I could see that, if not actually disgruntled, he was far from being gruntled.” – P.G. Wodehouse, The Code of the Woosters 

Content	Appreciative	Gruntled	Unworried
	Fulfilled	Pleased	Satisfied
	Grateful	Untroubled	Thankful

“If you look for perfection, you'll never be content.” – Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina 

Lively	Animated	Energetic	Exhilarated
	Elated	Enthusiastic	Spirited
	Electrified	Excited	Thrilled

“He was by nature a very lively boy and he gradually became popular in Okonkwo's household, especially with the children.” – Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart 

Cheerful	Beaming	Happy	Joyful
	Content	Jocular	Merry
	Gleeful	Jovial	Radiant

“She was a cheerful child with a good temper.” — Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

And there you have it — over 450 adjectives to help bring your characters to life. But don’t stop here! If this post has inspired you to think more deeply about character creation, here are a few extra resources for you to check out:

• 150+ useful character quirks if you’re unsure of whether your character’s traits and habits are too cliché.
• 12 types of characters every writer should know to test your knowledge about character archetypes.

Good luck, and happy writing!