Positive and Negative Words to Describe a Person: Negative Words to Describe a Person

Master these terms that will help you describe grinches, grouches, bullies, and other unpleasant people.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. abominable
    unequivocally detestable
    Nately was appalled and bewildered by the abominable old man’s inability to perceive the enormity of his offense. Catch-22
  2. aggressive
    characteristic of an enemy or one eager to fight
    He was notoriously aggressive, his manner eventually becoming so intimidating that his closest collaborator, a gentle man named Walter Baade, refused to be left alone with him. A Short History of Nearly Everything
  3. barbarous
    able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
    To him, crowds were barbarous agents of destruction. New York Times (Aug 18, 2017)
  4. cantankerous
    having a difficult and contrary disposition
    She’s never held a day job before, and her acerbic, cantankerous demeanor gets in the way of her keeping one now. The New Yorker (Oct 18, 2018)
  5. choleric
    quickly aroused to anger
    As author Sun Tzu advises: "If your opponent is of choleric temperament, seek to irritate him". BBC (May 16, 2019)
  6. craven
    lacking even the rudiments of courage; abjectly fearful
    No man likes to look craven in the sight of his fellows, so they’ll fight brave enough at the start, when it’s all warhorns and blowing banners. Time (Sep 23, 2013)
  7. deceitful
    marked by deliberate deceptiveness
    “There is little honor in a fight with such a creature. I’d rather face a thousand honest men with swords than one of those deceitful witches with unnatural powers.” Six of Crows
  8. despicable
    morally reprehensible
    “I despised him. He was a despicable man.” The Poisonwood Bible
  9. detestable
    offensive to the mind
    I find it particularly hilarious that Christie described Poirot as “insufferable” and a “detestable, bombastic, tiresome, egocentric little creep.” New York Times (Apr 26, 2018)
  10. dishonorable
    lacking integrity; not deserving of respect
    Many of the characters you’ve played are dishonorable, if not outright evil. Time (Dec 6, 2011)
  11. egotistical
    having an inflated idea of one's own importance
    She’s known to be exceedingly pushy, egotistical, cunning, calculating and perpetually dissatisfied. The Diary of a Young Girl
  12. gauche
    lacking social poise or refinement
    “I’m gauche and awkward, I dress badly, I’m shy with people. I warned you in Monte Carlo how it would be. You think I’m not right for Manderley.” Rebecca
  13. harsh
    unkind or cruel or uncivil
    When her father remarried, she’d gone to live with him and her stepmother, who was harsh and punishing. Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam
  14. hostile
    characterized by enmity or ill will
    The children were silent, hostile, vindictive, continuously complaining of hunger. Black Boy
  15. inhumane
    reflecting a lack of pity or compassion
    They need to be protected from horrific, vile, inhumane human beings like you. The Guardian (Sep 22, 2018)
  16. irascible
    quickly aroused to anger
    That seems a stretch, though Wright’s ego was monstrous and he grew more prickly and irascible as he aged into his 90s. Washington Post (May 18, 2016)
  17. malicious
    having the nature of threatening evil
    A small, malicious, treacherous man, as stupid as he is cruel. A Dance with Dragons
  18. narcissistic
    having an inflated idea of one's own importance
    Onstage, she sees more deeply into herself, but not in a way that is narcissistic. Drama High
  19. obnoxious
    causing disapproval or protest
    I didn’t mind when Quentin showed off his vocabulary, but I suspected the other boys thought he was just being obnoxious, which, of course, he was. October Sky
  20. ornery
    having a difficult and contrary disposition
    Sometimes I am as ornery and stubborn as an old donkey. Walk Two Moons
  21. pitiless
    without mercy or sympathy
    We became hard, suspicious, pitiless, vicious, tough—and that was good; for these attributes were just what we lacked. All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel
  22. ruthless
    without mercy or pity
    This was the most powerful man in the world, and, some said, the most ruthless and intolerant. Tiger, Tiger
  23. saturnine
    bitter or scornful
    He was 36, broke, blocked, disconsolate and sickly, a saturnine man contemplating his fears and failures. New York Times (Mar 25, 2011)
  24. treacherous
    tending to betray
    In later poems she is usually shown as treacherous and malicious, exerting a deadly and destructive power over men. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes
  25. vicious
    able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
    He put himself squarely before the vicious mobs and moved with strength and dignity toward them and decisively defeated them. While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement
Created on Tue Jul 13 11:43:16 EDT 2021 (updated Mon Jul 19 13:31:33 EDT 2021)

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