Personality Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering personality traits, simple definitions, and key trait distinctions from the lecture transcript.

Considerate

Thinking about other people's feelings and needs.

Mean

Unkind or unpleasant towards others.

Crafty

Clever in a dishonest or tricky way.

Ruthless

Having no pity; willing to hurt others to achieve a goal.

Pompous

Acting as if you are very important or superior.

Compassionate

Caring about other people's suffering and wanting to help.

Cunning

Clever at getting what you want, often by using tricks.

Single-minded

Completely focused on one aim or goal.

Arrogant

Thinking you are better or more important than others.

Hypocritical

Pretending to have certain standards or beliefs while not following them yourself.

Tenacious

Not giving up easily; determined to continue.

Patronizing

Speaking to someone as if they are less intelligent or important than you.

Resolute

Very determined and not willing to change your decision.

Two-faced

Friendly to someone in public but saying or doing unpleasant things about them behind their back.

Vindictive

Wanting to hurt or punish someone because they have upset you.

Obstinate

Refusing to change your opinion or behaviour, even when you should.

Warm

Friendly, kind and welcoming.

Spiteful

Deliberately trying to upset or hurt someone.

Intransigent

Refusing to compromise or change your position.

Concieted

having an excessively high, proud, or exaggerated opinion of oneself, one's abilities, or one's appearance

Smug

Too pleased with yourself and your achievements.

Big-headed

Thinking you are very clever or important; conceited.

Indulgent

Very tolerant or generous towards someone's behaviour.

Persistent

Continuing to try despite difficulties or rejection.

Snobbish

Believing you are socially or culturally better than other people.

Aloof

Unfriendly or distant; not showing much interest in others.

Pushy

Trying too hard to get what you want, without respecting other people's wishes.

Scheming

Secretly making plans, usually to get an advantage.

Genial

Cheerful, friendly and pleasant.

Petulant

Behaving in an annoyed, childish way when you don't get what you want.

Calculating

Carefully planning your actions to gain an advantage.

Ignorant

Lacking knowledge or understanding; sometimes also used for someone who behaves rudely.

Lenient

Not strict when enforcing rules or punishing someone.

Moody

Having moods that change frequently, especially becoming unhappy or angry.

Tactful

Careful about what you say so you don't upset or offend people.

Devious

Dishonest and indirect, usually to achieve a goal.

Stuck-up

Unfriendly because you think you are better than other people.

Supercilious

Behaving as though you are superior to other people.

Narrow-minded

Unwilling to accept different ideas, opinions or ways of life.

Condescending

Treating someone as though they are less intelligent or important than you.

Affable

Friendly, pleasant and easy to talk to.

Tireless

Having a lot of energy and continuing without becoming tired.

Surly

Bad-tempered, unfriendly and rude.

Assertive

Confidently expressing your opinions or needs without being aggressive.

Mild-mannered

Calm, gentle and not easily angered.

Courteous

Polite and respectful towards others.

Strong-willed

Determined and not easily influenced by other people.

Decent

Honest, respectable and generally good-hearted.

Generous

Willing to give money, time, help or kindness to others.

Distinction: Cunning vs. Crafty vs. Devious

Cunning = clever at using tricks; Crafty = clever and slightly dishonest; Devious = deliberately dishonest and indirect.

Distinction: Arrogant vs. Big-headed vs. Smug

All involve excessive pride, but arrogant suggests superiority, big-headed suggests thinking you're great, and smug suggests being overly satisfied with yourself.

Distinction: Obstinate vs. Stubborn vs. Intransigent

All involve refusing to change; intransigent especially describes refusing to compromise.

Distinction: Patronizing vs. Condescending vs. Supercilious

All involve treating others as inferior, with slightly different shades of meaning.