300+ Descriptive Words to Help You Write More Vivid Characters

Character Description Words

When someone is picking up your script for a cold read, you want them to immediately understand the people in each scene.

Now, a lot of that comes through their actions. But you can use these words to color our perception of these people and get us in the right mood to see their actions in the right way.

Positive Traits

These words describe admirable or desirable qualities.

Kind, Compassionate, and Generous

 
• Affectionate
 
• Altruistic
 
• Benevolent
 
• Benign
 
• Charitable
 
• Clement
 
• Considerate
 
• Empathetic
 
• Gentle
 
• Gracious
 
• Humane
 
• Kind-hearted
 
• Lenient
 
• Magnanimous
 
• Nurturing
 
• Philanthropic
 
• Sympathetic
 
• Tender-hearted
 
• Thoughtful
 
• Tolerant
 

Confident, Courageous, and Bold

 
• Adventurous
 
• Assertive
 
• Audacious
 
• Brave
 
• Confident
 
• Courageous
 
• Daring
 
• Dauntless
 
• Decisive
 
• Determined
 
• Fearless
 
• Gallant
 
• Heroic
 
• Indomitable
 
• Intrepid
 
• Plucky
 
• Resolute
 
• Spirited
 
• Spunky
 
• Steadfast
 
• Tenacious
 
• Valiant
 
• Valorous
 

Social, Charming, and Outgoing

 
• Affable
 
• Amiable
 
• Amicable
 
• Charming
 
• Charismatic
 
• Congenial
 
• Convivial
 
• Cordial
 
• Diplomatic
 
• Disarming
 
• Eloquent
 
• Extroverted
 
• Garrulous
 
• Gregarious
 
• Personable
 
• Sociable
 
• Suave
 
• Witty
 

Intelligent, Wise, and Creative

 
• Analytical
 
• Articulate
 
• Astute
 
• Brilliant
 
• Cerebral
 
• Clever
 
• Creative
 
• Cultured
 
• Discerning
 
• Erudite
 
• Imaginative
 
• Ingenious
 
• Insightful
 
• Inventive
 
• Knowledgeable
 
• Logical
 
• Observant
 
• Perceptive
 
• Pioneering
 
• Pragmatic
 
• Rational
 
• Reflective
 
• Sagacious (wise)
 
• Shrewd
 
• Visionary
 

Honest and Principled

 
• Candid
 
• Conscientious
 
• Dependable
 
• Ethical
 
• Forthright
 
• Genuine
 
• Honorable
 
• Incorruptible
 
• Just
 
• Loyal
 
• Principled
 
• Reliable
 
• Righteous
 
• Scrupulous
 
• Sincere
 
• Trustworthy
 
• Upright
 
• Veracious
 

Easy-going and Optimistic

 
• Adaptable
 
• Buoyant
 
• Calm
 
• Carefree
 
• Cheerful
 
• Easy-going
 
• Exuberant
 
• Hopeful
 
• Jovial
 
• Jubilant
 
• Laid-back
 
• Lighthearted
 
• Optimistic
 
• Placid
 
• Sanguine
 
• Serene
 
• Tranquil
 

Hardworking and Disciplined

 
• Ambitious
 
• Assiduous
 
• Capable
 
• Diligent
 
• Disciplined
 
• Efficient
 
• Industrious
 
• Methodical
 
• Meticulous
 
• Organized
 
• Persistent
 
• Proactive
 
• Punctilious
 
• Resourceful
 
• Self-disciplined
 
• Thorough
 

Negative Traits

These words describe flaws, vices, or undesirable qualities.

Cruel, Malicious, and Unpleasant

 
• Abusive
 
• Acerbic
 
• Barbaric
 
• Belligerent
 
• Brutal
 
• Callous
 
• Caustic
 
• Contentious
 
• Cruel
 
• Hostile
 
• Malevolent
 
• Malicious
 
• Nasty
 
• Petty
 
• Pugnacious
 
• Sadistic
 
• Spiteful
 
• Surly
 
• Truculent
 
• Uncaring
 
• Vicious
 
• Vindictive
 

Arrogant and Egotistical

 
• Arrogant
 
• Boastful
 
• Bombastic
 
• Cocky
 
• Conceited
 
• Condescending
 
• Egotistical
 
• Grandiose
 
• Haughty
 
• Imperious
 
• Narcissistic
 
• Overbearing
 
• Pompous
 
• Presumptuous
 
• Pretentious
 
• Smug
 
• Supercilious
 
• Vain
 

Dishonest and Deceitful

 
• Corrupt
 
• Cunning
 
• Deceitful
 
• Deviant
 
• Dishonest
 
• Duplicitous
 
• Guileful
 
• Hypocritical
 
• Insidious
 
• Manipulative
 
• Scheming
 
• Sly
 
• Treacherous
 
• Underhanded
 
• Unscrupulous
 
• Untrustworthy
 

Anxious, Fearful, and Weak

 
• Apprehensive
 
• Cowardly
 
• Craven
 
• Diffident
 
• Fainthearted
 
• Fearful
 
• Feeble
 
• Gullible
 
• Indecisive
 
• Insecure
 
• Irresolute
 
• Meek
 
• Nervous
 
• Paranoid
 
• Passive
 
• Pusillanimous
 
• Spineless
 
• Submissive
 
• Timid
 
• Trepidatious
 
• Weak-willed
 

Lazy and Apathetic

 
• Apathetic
 
• Feckless
 
• Idle
 
• Indifferent
 
• Indolent
 
• Lackadaisical
 
• Languid
 
• Lazy
 
• Lethargic
 
• Listless
 
• Negligent
 
• Passive
 
• Slothful
 
• Torpid
 

Stubborn and Inflexible

 
• Adamant
 
• Bigoted
 
• Dogmatic
 
• Domineering
 
• Entitled
 
• Fanatical
 
• Inflexible
 
• Intolerant
 
• Obstinate
 
• Opinionated
 
• Pig-headed
 
• Prejudiced
 
• Reactionary
 
• Recalcitrant *- Rigid
 
• Stubborn
 
• Uncompromising
 

Moody and Volatile

 
• Cantankerous
 
• Capricious
 
• Choleric
 
• Cranky
 
• Fickle
 
• Finicky
 
• Grouchy
 
• Grumbling
 
• Irascible
 
• Mercurial
 
• Moody
 
• Peevish
 
• Petulant
 
• Querulous
 
• Sullen
 
• Temperamental
 
• Testy
 
• Volatile
 

Neutral or Context-Dependent Traits

These traits can be positive or negative depending on the situation, the character's motivations, or the degree to which they possess the trait.

General Disposition

 
• Abrupt
 
• Aloof
 
• Austere
 
• Blunt
 
• Boyish/Girlish
 
• Businesslike
 
• Casual
 
• Cynical
 
• Demure
 
• Distant
 
• Droll
 
• Dry
 
• Enigmatic
 
• Fierce
 
• Formal
 
• Frank
 
• Frugal
 
• Grave
 
• Guarded
 
• Intense
 
• Introverted
 
• Irreverent
 
• Maternal/Paternal
 
• Matter-of-fact
 
• Melancholy
 
• Naive
 
• Nonchalant
 
• Pensive
 
• Playful
 
• Proud
 
• Quirky
 
• Reserved
 
• Sarcastic
 
• Sardonic
 
• Self-conscious
 
• Sensitive
 
• Serious
 
• Shy
 
• Solemn
 
• Somber
 
• Stoic
 
• Taciturn
 
• Unemotional
 
• Unpredictable
 
• Whimsical
 

Intellectual & Worldview

 
• Absolutist
 
• Agnostic
 
• Amoral
 
• Artful
 
• Childlike
 
• Contemplative
 
• Conventional
 
• Curious
 
• Deadpan
 
• Dogmatic
 
• Dreamy
 
• Eccentric
 
• Empirical
 
• Fatalistic
 
• Idealistic
 
• Idiosyncratic
 
• Impulsive
 
• Innocent
 
• Inquisitive
 
• Introspective
 
• Literal
 
• Mystical
 
• Nihilistic
 
• Nostalgic
 
• Pedantic
 
• Pious
 
• Practical
 
• Predictable
 
• Progressive
 
• Skeptical
 
• Spontaneous
 
• Subjective
 
• Traditional
 
• Unconventional
 
• Worldly