VOCAB: Personality Words English

Recalcitrant

adj. resisting authority or control; not obedient or compliant; refractory

Ex: The recalcitrant student refused to follow the teacher’s directions, even after multiple warnings.

Lugubrious

adj. mournful, dismal, or gloomy, esp. in an affected, exaggerated, or unrelieved manner
Ex: His lugubrious tone made the simple story sound like a tragedy.

Pedantic

adj. ostentatious in one's learning; overly concerned with minute details or formalisms, esp. in teaching

Ex: The pedantic professor corrected every tiny grammar mistake, even when it didn’t affect the meaning.

Nonplussed

adj. totally puzzled, perplexed, or confused
She was nonplussed by the unexpected question and didn’t know how to respond.

Phlegmatic

adj. having an unemotional and stolidly calm disposition
Even during the chaotic storm, the captain remained phlegmatic and focused.

Irascible

adj. having a tendency to be easily angered; irritable.
"The irascible old shopkeeper was known for shouting at anyone who dared to linger too long in the aisles without buying something."

Insouciant

adj. showing a casual lack of concern; indifferent. 
"Despite the looming deadline, she strolled into the office with an insouciant shrug, sipping her coffee as if she had all the time in the world."

Acerbic

adj. sharp and forthright
"The film critic was famous for her acerbic reviews, often dismantling multi-million dollar blockbusters with a single, devastatingly witty sentence."

Choleric

adj. quickly aroused to anger
"The coach’s choleric outbursts were so frequent that the players eventually learned to tune out his shouting entirely."

Mercurial

adj. subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind
"The director was famous for his mercurial temperament; he could be your best friend during rehearsals and your harshest critic by opening night."

Diffident

adj. shy, timid
"Though he was the most brilliant engineer in the room, his diffident manner meant he rarely spoke up during brainstorming sessions."

Flummoxed

adj. bewildered or perplexed 
"The seasoned detective was completely flummoxed by the thief’s ability to vanish from a locked room without leaving a single fingerprint."

Saturnine

adj. slow and gloomy.
"The saturnine atmosphere of the old library, with its dim lights and heavy silence, always made him feel a bit melancholy."

Crestfallen

adj. sad and disappointed
"He was crestfallen when he realized that his favorite bakery had sold out of croissants just as he reached the front of the line."

Overwrought

adj.  in a state of nervous excitement, anxiety, or anger; agitated, nervous, edgy

"After forty-eight hours without sleep, her overwrought nerves made her jump at the slightest sound in the hallway."

Sagacious

adj. having or showing keen mental discernment and good judgment; shrewd
"The CEO’s sagacious decision to invest in green energy ten years ago saved the company from the recent fossil fuel crisis."

Perfidious

adj. deceitful and untrustworthy
"The king was eventually overthrown by his perfidious advisor, who had been secretly leaking state secrets to the enemy."

Lachrymose

adj.  tearful, given to tears or weeping
"The movie was a lachrymose drama that had half the audience reaching for their tissues before the first act was over."

Duplicitous

adj. deceitful; dishonest
"The spy lived a duplicitous life, maintaining a quiet suburban family while secretly working for a foreign intelligence agency."

Salubrious

adj. healthful; beneficial
"They moved from the smoggy city to the countryside, hoping the salubrious mountain air would improve their health."

Caustic

adj. harsh or corrosive; sarcastic in a bitter way
"The comedian’s caustic wit spared no one, not even the celebrities sitting in the front row of the awards show."

Petulant

adj. sulky or bad tempered
"When he didn't get his way, the actor threw a petulant tantrum and refused to leave his trailer for the rest of the day."

Gregarious

adj. Seeking and enjoying the company of others
"As a gregarious socialite, she felt truly alive only when she was surrounded by a crowd at a bustling party."

Erudite

adj. Educated or scholarly
"The professor’s erudite lecture on medieval history was so detailed that even the graduate students struggled to keep up."

Licentious

adj. promiscuous and unprincipled in (s e x u a l) matters
"Historical accounts often portray the Roman emperor’s court as a licentious place where moral boundaries were rarely respected."

Quixotic

adj. dreamily impulsive and unpredictable; impractical
"While his plan to build a city on the moon seemed quixotic to some, he remained convinced it was the future of humanity."

Blithe

adj. showing a casual and cheerful indifference considered to be callous or improper.
"He showed a blithe disregard for the 'No Trespassing' signs, whistling happily as he hiked across the private estate."

Ebullient

adj. Cheerful and full of energy
"The team was in an ebullient mood after winning the championship, celebrating late into the night."