When it comes to creating compelling and realistic characters in literature, film, or any other storytelling medium, character traits play a crucial role. Character traits are the unique qualities and characteristics that define a character’s personality, behavior, and mindset. They are what make characters feel relatable, human, and multidimensional, and can make or break a story’s impact. As a writer or storyteller, having a comprehensive list of character traits to draw from can be incredibly useful, allowing you to craft characters that are complex, dynamic, and memorable. In this blog post, we’ll be exploring a Positive and Negative Character Traits List that can serve as a valuable resource for writers, storytellers, and anyone looking to better understand the art of characterization.
Character Trait Definition
A character trait refers to a distinguishing quality or feature that defines an individual’s personality or behavior. It is a consistent pattern of thought, feeling, and behavior that is relatively enduring and stable across different situations and contexts. Examples of character traits include honesty, kindness, loyalty, determination, courage, generosity, and empathy, among many others. Character traits are often viewed as fundamental building blocks of a person’s character and can greatly impact their relationships, achievements, and overall well-being.
List of Positive Character Traits
- Accurate
- Adaptable
- Adventurous
- Affectionate
- Altruistic
- Ambitious
- Appreciative
- Artistic
- Attentive
- Authentic
- Balanced
- Bold
- Brave
- Calm
- Caring
- Charismatic
- Charming
- Cheerful
- Clean
- Clear-headed
- Clever
- Compassionate
- Confident
- Conscientious
- Considerate
- Consistent
- Constructive
- Convincing
- Cooperative
- Courageous
- Courteous
- Creative
- Curious
- Decisive
- Dedicated
- Dependable
- Determined
- Diligent
- Diplomatic
- Disciplined
- Easygoing
- Educated
- Efficient
- Elegant
- Empathetic
- Enthusiastic
- Ethical
- Faithful
- Fashionable
- Flexible
- Focused
- Forgiving
- Frank
- Friendly
- Generous
- Gentle
- Gracious
- Grateful
- Helpful
- Honest
- Honorable
- Humble
- Humorous
- Idealistic
- Imaginative
- Independent
- Individualistic
- Innovative
- Insightful
- Inspiring
- Interesting
- Intuitive
- Inventive
- Joyful
- Just
- Kind
- Knowledgeable
- Level-headed
- Likable
- Logical
- Loving
- Loyal
- Mature
- Methodical
- Modern
- Modest
- Neat
- Nurturing
- Observant
- Open-minded
- Optimistic
- Organized
- Passionate
- Patient
- Perceptive
- Perseverant
- Persistent
- Philanthropic
- Playful
- Polite
- Positive
- Proactive
- Productive
- Proficient
- Progressive
- Prompt
- Punctual
- Purposeful
- Realistic
- Reasonable
- Relaxed
- Reliable
- Resourceful
- Respectful
- Responsible
- Romantic
- Self-aware
- Self-Confident
- Self-Disciplined
- Selfless
- Self-Reliant
- Suave
- Talented
- Thoughtful
- Thrifty
- Trustworthy
- Understanding
- Unselfish
- Visionary
- Warm
- Wholesome
- Wise
Positive Character Traits | Image
Negative Character Traits List
- Aggressive
- Aloof
- Arrogant
- Attention-seeking
- Argumentative
- Authoritarian
- Backstabbing
- Bad-tempered
- Bigoted
- Bitter
- Blaming
- Boastful
- Bossy
- Bribable
- Brutal
- Bullying
- Callous
- Capricious
- Careless
- Chaotic
- Closed-minded
- Cold
- Combative
- Compulsive
- Condescending
- Confrontational
- Conniving
- Controlling
- Cowardly
- Crafty
- Critical
- Cruel
- Cynical
- Deceitful
- Defeatist
- Defensive
- Delusional
- Demanding
- Dependent
- Depressed
- Desperate
- Detached
- Deviant
- Difficult
- Disloyal
- Disrespectful
- Divisive
- Dogmatic
- Domineering
- Doubtful
- Draconian
- Dramatic
- Dreamy
- Dull
- Egoistic
- Emotional
- Envious
- Erratic
- Escapist
- Excessive
- Explosive
- Facetious
- Fanatical
- Fault-finding
- Fearful
- Fickle
- Flaky
- Foolish
- Forgetful
- Foul-mouthed
- Frivolous
- Gossipy
- Greedy
- Grouchy
- Guilt-tripping
- Hapless
- Harsh
- Hedonistic
- Helpless
- Hesitant
- Hostile
- Hypocritical
- Idiosyncratic
- Ignorant
- Impatient
- Impersonal
- Impulsive
- Inconsiderate
- Inconsistent
- Indecisive
- Indifferent
- Indulgent
- Inflexible
- Insecure
- Insensitive
- Insincere
- Intolerant
- Irresponsible
- Jealous
- Judgmental
- Lacking confidence
- Lazy
- Lethargic
- Liar
- Loquacious
- Loudmouthed
- Manipulative
- Materialistic
- Meddlesome
- Melodramatic
- Miserly
- Moody
- Morbid
- Narrow-minded
- Narcissistic
- Needy
- Negative
- Nervous
- Nitpicking
- Noncommittal
- Nosy
- Obnoxious
- Obsessive
- Offensive
- Opinionated
- Opportunistic
- Overbearing
- Overcritical
- Overemotional
- Overprotective
- Oversensitive
- Pessimistic
- Phony
- Possessive
- Pretentious
- Procrastinating
- Pushy
- Quarrelsome
- Quick
- Rash
- Reckless
- Resentful
- Restless
- Rigid
- Risk-averse
- Robotic
- Sadistic
- Sarcastic
- Scornful
- Secretive
- Self-centered
- Self-conscious
- Self-doubting
- Self-indulgent
- Selfish
- Self-pitying
- Self-righteous
- Self-serving
- Shallow
- Short-tempered
- Skeptical
- Skittish
- Sloppy
- Slow
- Sly
- Smug
- Sneaky
- Snobbish
- Solemn
- Solipsistic
- Somber
- Sophisticated
- Sullen
- Superficial
- Suspicious
- Tantrum-prone
- Tasteless
- Tense
- Thoughtless
- Timid
- Tiresome
- Touchy
- Tough
- Traitorous
- Transient
- Treacherous
- Troublemaker
- Unapproachable
- Unassertive
- Uncommunicative
- Uncompromising
- Unconcerned
- Uncooperative
- Undependable
- Unforgiving
- Ungrateful
- Unimaginative
- Unmotivated
- Unpredictable
Also learn: Character Traits for Kids
Negative Character Traits | Images