When describing someone, you might use adjectives such as tall, short, curly-haired, bearded, etc. to talk about their appearance. But when you talk about their personality traits and temperaments, you will need to be more descriptive than just saying they are kind or a good person.
To describe someone in a positive manner, you can use:
Down-to-earth: humble and unpretentious
It’s hard to believe how down-to-earth she is, given that she is a world-famous celebrity!
Larger than life: more than usual; lively
I will always remember Uncle Jim for his belly laugh and larger than life personality.
Life of the party: someone who brings energy and excitement to a social event.
Whenever Jim shows up, he becomes the life of the party with his goofy smile and cool dance moves!
Man/Woman of his/her word: someone who can be trusted for their promises
I can always count on Mark to deliver what he promises. He is a man of his word.
Go-getter: someone who is determined and works hard to succeed
I admire his go-getter attitude and have no doubt that he will achieve all his goals.
To describe someone in a negative manner, you might say:
Pain in the neck: irritating and annoying to others
Ugh! I cannot stand how he always puts his feet on my chair. He is such a pain in the neck.
Cheapskate: stingy and cheap
Don’t be such a cheapskate, buy your brother something nice for Christmas!
Know-it-all: someone who thinks they know everything
Hermione Granger went from being a know-it-all to becoming a great friend for Harry and Ron in the Harry Potter series.
Wet blanket: someone who prevents others from having fun
Not to be a wet blanket, but it’s getting late and you should turn down the music.
Not the sharpest tool in the drawer: a more polite to say someone is not very smart
He may not be the sharpest tool in the drawer, but he has a kind heart.
Author: Katy Lia, Cambly Tutor
If you’d like to keep this conversation going with Katy, give her a call on Cambly or make a reservation with her here: https://www.cambly.com/en/student/tutor/Katy%20Lia