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

Still need artful adjectives to describe scoundrels, rascals, and other shady characters? Look no further than this list of even more negative words you can use to describe people.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. bombastic
    ostentatiously lofty in style
    Denzel Washington plays a talkative, bombastic, larger-than-life dad whose personality leaps off the screen. Reuters (Feb 23, 2017)
  2. callous
    emotionally hardened
    However, his misgivings proved correct, because his father was callous and cruel to the workers, forcing them to labor under harsh conditions from morning to night. When the Sea Turned to Silver
  3. capricious
    changeable
    Their agendas are unknowable and changeable; even social-media influencers are subject to the whims of the algorithms, as if they were serving capricious deities. The New Yorker (Apr 21, 2019)
  4. contemptible
    deserving of scorn or disrespect
    Tom found these people cowards and, therefore, more contemptible than the desperadoes who risked their lives to hold up a train. Killers of the Flower Moon
  5. cross
    annoyed and irritable
    Instead I saw them all lined up in the courtyard, frowning and cross. Homeless Bird
  6. egocentric
    limited to or caring only about yourself and your own needs
    Toddlers and preschoolers are known for their egocentric and “selfish” ways of thinking and behaving; it is a hallmark of the age. Washington Post (Jun 11, 2019)
  7. fickle
    marked by erratic changeableness in affections
    Voters are fickle, and recent history proves enough of them are willing to change their minds. Washington Times (Dec 16, 2020)
  8. glum
    moody and sorrowful
    He looked down at the white flowers that brushed against her white skirt, and at first he was shy and glum and hardly answered. A Wizard of Earthsea
  9. ignoble
    dishonorable in character or purpose
    Certain newspapers seized the opportunity of that sale to attack me once more as "an ignoble mother, ruining her child." Steinheil, Marguerite
  10. immoral
    deliberately violating principles of right and wrong
    Young people were rebelling against a society they thought was violent, corrupt, and immoral. The Omnivore's Dilemma
  11. irate
    feeling or showing extreme anger
    On Sunday, irate crowds greeted his arrival with bright yellow signs that said, “Anger,” and showered him with jeering cries of “Go Home!” New York Times (May 23, 2010)
  12. maleficent
    harmful or evil in intent or effect
    Whereas they are cheerful and benevolent figures, he is maleficent and terrible: they are gods of the heaven but he is a god of the earth. Eliot, Charles, Sir
  13. mendacious
    given to lying
    The fate of the farm animals was so grim, the pigs were so mean and mendacious and treacherous, the sheep were so stupid. The Guardian (Jan 18, 2013)
  14. nefarious
    extremely wicked
    These librarians try to round up the world’s magical powers so that they don’t fall into the wrong hands, especially the hands of the nefarious members of the Serpent Brotherhood. New York Times (Dec 5, 2014)
  15. pedantic
    marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning
    Most of these books aren’t great literature either: the great majority are sentimental and predictable, and a few manage to be as pedantic, self-important and annoying as, one ventures, their authors must be in person. New York Times (Jun 28, 2010)
  16. peevish
    easily irritated or annoyed
    Maddie gasped, anger and fear making her peevish about the other girl’s seemingly limitless talents. Code Name Verity
  17. persnickety
    characterized by excessive attention to trivial details
    He is so persnickety about presentation that he grills his garnishes, often lemon slices, a pepper or a tiny tomato. Washington Post (May 17, 2018)
  18. petty
    preoccupied with unimportant matters in a spiteful way
    This morning on a radio show we did, he said I’m childish and petty. Los Angeles Times (Aug 5, 2014)
  19. puerile
    displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity
    He was considered brash, intemperate, intense and puerile — and more, the sort of guy you made fun of. Time (Jan 5, 2012)
  20. pugnacious
    ready and able to resort to force or violence
    “Volatile,” “pugnacious” and “acerbic” were among the words used to describe him in court. New York Times (Jul 5, 2018)
  21. pusillanimous
    lacking in courage, strength, and resolution
    A courageous scoundrel is far worse than a pusillanimous one. Washington Post (Jul 2, 2019)
  22. stern
    serious and harsh in manner or behavior
    With his eyes closed and his face gone slack, he seemed stern and almost forbidding. Cheaper by the Dozen
  23. supercilious
    having or showing arrogant superiority
    Now he was a sturdy, straw haired man of thirty with a rather hard mouth and a supercilious manner. The Great Gatsby
  24. unethical
    not conforming to approved standards of social behavior
    He was widely viewed as an unethical and vile human being. BBC (Feb 28, 2019)
  25. vapid
    lacking significance or liveliness or spirit or zest
    But you find her empty and vapid, and you weary of her, in spite of the very best intentions of being interested. Hart, John S. (John Seely)
Created on Mon Jul 19 15:50:25 EDT 2021 (updated Fri Jul 23 14:38:55 EDT 2021)

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