Feelings & Personality Vocabulary
Emotions & Feelings (43 words)
A1
A2
B1
embarrassed adjective · B1
em-BAIR-uhst
uncomfortable after a mistake
He felt embarrassed when he forgot her name.
B2
cherish verb · B2
CHER-ish
to love something deeply and take care of it
She cherishes every letter her grandfather wrote to her.
compassion noun · B2
kum-PASH-un
a strong feeling of sympathy and care for other people's suffering
The nurse treated every patient with real compassion.
disappoint verb · B2
dis-uh-POYNT
to make someone sad because you did not do what they hoped
The bad news disappointed everyone.
emotion noun · B2
ee-MOH-shun
a strong feeling like happiness or anger
Music can bring out strong emotions.
frustration noun · B2
frus-TRAY-shun
the upset feeling you get when you cannot do or change something
After three failed attempts, his frustration was clear.
grudge noun · B2
GRUJ
a feeling of anger toward someone because of a past hurt
He held a grudge against his colleague for years after that argument.
remorse noun · B2
rih-MORS
deep regret for something wrong you did
He felt great remorse after lying to his best friend.
serenity noun · B2
suh-REN-uh-tee
the state of being completely calm and peaceful
The quiet lake gave her a feeling of complete serenity.
C1
acrimonious adjective · C1
ak-rih-MOH-nee-us
full of anger and bitter hostility
Their acrimonious divorce divided the family for years.
ambivalent adjective · C1
am-BIH-vuh-lent
having mixed or contradictory feelings about something
She felt ambivalent about the promotion: proud of the recognition, but uneasy about the longer hours.
contrite adjective · C1
kun-TRYT
feeling deep guilt and wanting to make things right
He wrote a contrite letter apologizing for his harsh words.
disdain noun · C1
dis-DAYN
a strong feeling of contempt or lack of respect
He looked at the cheap imitation with disdain.
disillusionment noun · C1
dis-i-LOO-zhun-munt
the disappointment of realizing something is not as good as you once believed
After a decade of idealism, her disillusionment with the political system was complete and irreversible.
exhilaration noun · C1
ig-zil-uh-RAY-shun
intense joy and excitement
She felt pure exhilaration as she crossed the finish line ahead of the pack.
melancholy noun · C1
MEL-uhn-koh-lee
a deep, thoughtful sadness, often without a clear cause
An autumn melancholy settled over him as the leaves began to fall.
resentful adjective · C1
rih-ZENT-fuhl
feeling angry and bitter because of unfair treatment
She grew resentful after years of being overlooked for promotion.
wistful adjective · C1
WIST-ful
sad but thoughtful, quietly wishing for something you cannot quite have
He gave a wistful smile as the train pulled away, already missing a city he had only just left.
C2
ennui noun · C2
on-WEE
a feeling of tired boredom and lack of interest
After months of routine meetings, a deep ennui settled over the team.
euphoria noun · C2
yoo-FOR-ee-uh
a feeling of intense excitement and happiness
Euphoria filled the stadium when the winning goal was scored.
melancholy noun/adjective · C2
MEL-un-kol-ee
a deep, quiet, reflective sadness
There is a tender melancholy in his late paintings, as if he were saying goodbye.
petulance noun · C2
PET-yoo-lunce
childish anger or bad temper
His petulance after losing the game embarrassed everyone.
Describing Appearance (1 words)
C2
eyesore noun · C2
EYE-sor
an ugly building or object that spoils the appearance of a place
The abandoned tower block was an eyesore until the council demolished it.
Personality Adjectives (48 words)
A2
friendly adjective · A2
FREN-dly
nice to people, like a friend
Our neighbors are very friendly.
B1
moody adjective · B1
MOO-dee
changing feelings quickly, often from happy to sad
Teenagers can be moody, but it usually passes.
optimistic adjective · B1
op-tih-MIS-tik
expecting good things to happen
She stays optimistic even when things go wrong.
B2
admire verb · B2
ud-MYUR
to respect and like someone for something they do
I admire her honesty.
courage noun · B2
KUR-ij
the ability to do something hard or scary
It takes courage to speak in public.
humility noun · B2
hyoo-MIL-uh-tee
the quality of not thinking you are better or more important than others
Despite his fame, the actor was known for his humility.
respect verb · B2
ree-SPEKT
to think someone is good and treat them well
Students should respect their teachers.
temper noun · B2
TEM-pur
your usual way of feeling or reacting
He has a calm temper, even in traffic.
trust verb · B2
TRUST
to believe that someone is honest and good
I trust my best friend completely.
C1
aloof adjective · C1
uh-LOOF
distant and uninvolved; not friendly
The new manager seemed aloof, rarely joining lunch conversations.
capricious adjective · C1
kuh-PRIH-shus
changing suddenly and unpredictably, especially in mood or plans
The capricious weather ruined our picnic twice this week.
gregarious adjective · C1
gruh-GAIR-ee-us
enjoying the company of others; sociable and outgoing
Her gregarious personality made her popular at every party.
grit noun · C1
GRIT
firm determination to keep going despite difficulty
What separates champions from the rest is not talent alone but grit.
imperious adjective · C1
im-PEER-ee-us
commanding and arrogant, acting as if you have authority over everyone
The manager's imperious tone alienated the entire team, who resented being spoken to like schoolchildren.
nonchalant adjective · C1
non-shuh-LAHNT
calm and relaxed in a way that can seem careless or unconcerned
He gave a nonchalant shrug when asked about the delay.
petulant adjective · C1
PET-yuh-luhnt
childishly bad-tempered or sulky, especially over small things
His petulant tone made everyone uncomfortable at dinner.
recalcitrant adjective · C1
ri-KAL-si-trunt
stubbornly refusing to obey rules or follow guidance
The recalcitrant student ignored every warning, and by spring he had been suspended twice.
taciturn adjective · C1
TAS-ih-turn
speaking very little; quietly reserved
Unlike his chatty colleagues, the taciturn engineer rarely spoke at meetings.
C2
assiduous adjective · C2
uh-SIJ-oo-us
showing great care, attention, and persistence in one's work
Assiduous networking over five years finally opened doors for her in the industry.
blithe adjective · C2
BLYTH
happy and relaxed, showing no worry
With blithe disregard for the deadline, he went on holiday.
conscientious adjective · C2
kon-shee-EN-shus
careful, thorough, and guided by a strong sense of duty
A conscientious auditor double-checks every figure before signing off.
fickle adjective · C2
FIK-uhl
changing feelings or opinions quickly and without reason
Voters can be fickle, supporting a leader one year and rejecting him the next.
impetuous adjective · C2
im-PECH-oo-us
acting quickly without careful thought; impulsive and rash
His impetuous decision to invest his savings in the untested startup nearly cost him everything.
industrious adjective · C2
in-DUS-tree-us
hardworking and diligent
The industrious apprentice stayed late every evening to master the machinery.
insouciance noun · C2
in-SOO-see-unce
a relaxed, casual lack of concern
She faced the cameras with admirable insouciance.
irascible adjective · C2
ih-RASS-ih-bul
becoming angry very easily
The irascible chef shouted at anyone who touched his pans.
lackadaisical adjective · C2
lak-uh-DAY-zi-kul
lacking enthusiasm, energy, or care; casually lazy
His lackadaisical attitude toward deadlines cost him the promotion.
obstinate adjective · C2
OB-stuh-nut
stubbornly refusing to change your opinion or course of action
His obstinate refusal to accept the committee's findings stalled the reform for another year.
querulous adjective · C2
KWEH-roo-luss
complaining in a whining, fretful way
The querulous customer demanded to see the manager for the third time.
shrewd adjective · C2
SHROOD
clever and sharp in practical judgment, especially in business; able to see what will be advantageous
The shrewd investor bought shares when everyone else was panicking.
sycophant noun · C2
SIK-uh-funt
a person who praises powerful people excessively and insincerely in order to gain favor
The office sycophant laughed at every one of the manager's jokes, however unfunny.
truculent adjective · C2
TRUH-kyoo-lunt
aggressively defiant and eager to argue; hostile in manner
The debate turned truculent when one panelist began shouting over every rebuttal.
Mind, Memory & Thinking (10 words)
B1
concentrate verb · B1
KAHN-sun-trayt
to give all your attention to one thing
I cannot concentrate when it is noisy.
B2
brainstorm verb · B2
BRAYN-storm
to think of many ideas quickly, often in a group
The class brainstormed ideas for the school project.
procrastinate verb · B2
proh-KRAS-tuh-nayt
to keep delaying something you must do
Don't procrastinate — start your essay today.
retention noun · B2
ri-TEN-shun
the ability to keep information in your memory
Sleep improves the retention of new vocabulary.
C1
introspection noun · C1
in-truh-SPEK-shun
the act of looking inward and examining your own thoughts and feelings
A month of quiet introspection convinced her that the career change was not a whim but a necessity.
C2
cogitate verb · C2
KOJ-uh-tayt
to think deeply and carefully
He likes to cogitate on difficult problems during long walks.
discernment noun · C2
di-SURN-muhnt
the ability to notice subtle differences and make good, careful judgments
Good leadership requires the discernment to separate facts from noise.
perspicacity noun · C2
pur-spi-KA-si-tee
keen insight and the ability to understand things quickly and judge accurately
The reporter's perspicacity helped her spot the flaw in the official story.
sagacity noun · C2
suh-GA-si-tee
deep wisdom and good judgment that grows out of experience
Her sagacity as a negotiator saved the company from a disastrous merger.
Communication & Opinions (1 words)
B1
argue verb · B1
AR-gyoo
to disagree angrily with someone
They often argue about money, but they always forgive each other.