Character Creation Thesaurus
Positive Character Traits
- Accepting
- Actionable
- Adaptable
- Analytical
- Appreciative
- Attentive
- Assertive
- Ambitious
- Artistic
- Bashful
- Bold
- Brave
- Caring
- Cleaver
- Charismatic
- Courteous
- Confident
- Compassionate
- Courageous
- Coy
- Curious
- Classy
- Crafty
- Candid
- Daring
- Driven
- Determined
- Docile
- Disciplined
- Decisive
- Easy-Going
- Earnest
- Enthusiastic
- Energetic
- Emotional
- Empathetic
- Ethical
- Elegant
- Forgiving
- Fair
- Fierce
- Frank
- Forthright
- Generous
- Grateful
- Genius
- Genuine
- Helpful
- Humorous
- Honest
- Helpful
- Humble
- Honourable
- Heroic
- Intuitive
- Inquisitive
- Independent
- Insightful
- Intelligent
- Inventive
- Jolly
- Jester
- Joyful
- Kind
- Level-Headed
- Likeable
- Loud
- Logical
- Loyal
- Loving
- Light Hearted
- Mature
- Modest
- Meticulous
- Methodical
- Maternal
- Moral
- Mysterious
- Neat
- Nonchalant
- Nice
- Observant
- Optimistic
- Open-Minded
- Opportunistic
- Patient
- Persistent
- Pragmatic
- Polite
- Positive
- Punctual
- Progressive
- Quiet
- Quick-Witted
- Resourceful
- Respectful
- Resilient
- Responsible
- Reasonable
- Relaxed
- Romantic
- Reliable
- Spicy
- Serious
- Self-Reliant
- Selfless
- Suave
- Sociable
- Sharp
- Spirited
- Talented
- Tenacious
- Thrifty
- Tolerant
- Thoughtful
- Trusting
- Trustworthy
- Wise
- Witty
- Whimsical
Crafting Exercise
Psychologists often refer to 5 umbrella traits that will ultimately provide insight into how a person acts, behaves, and thinks. While crafting your character, identify where they fall on each spectrum:
Agreeableness: How stubborn VS how helpful and sympathetic is your character?
Conscientious: How far do they think ahead and plan their next steps VS are they spontaneous and think on their feet?
Extroversion: Are they a lone wolf and tend to avoid people, or are they social?
Neuroticism: Are they generally worried or temperamental or calm and collected?
Openness: Are they open to new ideas and experiences, or stuck in their current mindset/ways?
Questionable Character Traits
- Aggressive
- Abrasive
- Addictive
- Arrogant
- Argumentative
- Artificial
- Aimless
- Awkward
- Annoying
- Abusive
- Barbaric
- Brute
- Bossy
- Bitter
- Baleful
- Blunt
- Callus
- Cocky
- Compulsive
- Chaotic
- Calculating
- Careless
- Cruel
- Clumsy
- Cowardly
- Conceited
- Cynical
- Daring
- Dishonest
- Defensive
- Devious
- Domineering
- Evil
- Evasive
- Egotistical
- Extravagant
- Excessive
- Fragile
- Frail
- Fearful
- Frightful
- Fidgety
- Finicky
- Forgetful
- Fetitious
- Frivolous
- Fanatical
- Guilt-Ridden
- Greedy
- Guarded
- Grumpy
- Gullible
- Gritty
- Haughty
- Hostile
- Hard
- Hedonistic
- Hypocritical
- Impulsive
- Inpatient
- Insecure
- Irrational
- Irresponsible
- Insane
- Jealous
- Judgmental
- Know-It-All
- Klutz
- Liar
- Lazy
- Manipulative
- Malicious
- Malevolent
- Martyr
- Materialistic
- Melodramatic
- Mischievous
- Moody
- Meddlesome
- Narcissistic
- Needy
- Nervous
- Nosey
- Negative
- Naive
- Obsessive
- Obtuse
- Oblivious
- Obnoxious
- Offensive
- Paranoid
- Pernicious
- Passive
- Picky
- Pessimistic
- Problematic
- Privileged
- Prejudice
- Perfectionist
- Pretentious
- Quitter
- Restless
- Resentful
- Ridged
- Regretful
- Reckless
- Rebellious
- Rash
- Strict
- Self-Destructive
- Self-Centred
- Sarcastic
- Sneaky
- Self-Indulgent
- Selfish
- Stubborn
- Suspicious
- Surly
- Spoiled
- Sordid
- Tactless
- Temperamental
- Timid
- Thoughtless
- Ungrateful
- Unforgiving
- Uncouth
- Wicked
Helpful Prompts
Quirks & Habbits
- Bites tip of thumb
- Fidgety
- Compulsive Liar
- Bad/Good Luck
- No Filter
- Always Sleepy
- Quirky Obsession
- Complainer
- Lacks Sense of Direction
- Extremely Sensitive
- Rarely Shows Emotion
- Socially Awkward
- Intense Dislike of a Colour
- Carries a “Security Blanket”
- Never Prepared
- Shoes are Foot Prisons
- Must be Center of Attention
- Talks to Birds
- Embellishes Stories
- Hums or Whistles
- Has a Notable Laugh
- Adrenaline Junkie
- Overly Competitive
- Pulls Out Hair (Anxiety)
- Never Says Goodbye
- Won’t Touch Others
- Sniffs Everything
- Despises Eye Contact
- Messy Eater
- Taps Tip of Nose
- Clicks Nails Together
- Always Cold/Overheated
- Enjoys Frolicking
- Deeply Sarcastic
- No Sense of Personal Space
Fatal Flaws
- Misplaced Trust
- Excessive Curiosity
- Lacks Self Control
- Excessive Pride
- Predatory Mindset
- Self-Righteous
- Weak Willed
- Lacks Common Sense
- Lacks Self-Confidence
- Irrational Fear
- Toxic Faith
- Believe Misinformation
- Substance Dependance
- Destructive Ideology
- Lust for Power
- Blinding Jealousy
- Needs Praise & Validation
- Debilitating Triggers
- Blindly Cynical
- Consumed by Self-Hatred
- Self-Isolates From Society
- Cursed
- Dependant on Someone
- Hopelessly Deranged
- Remorseless
- Overbearing Obsession
- Unwilling to Trust Others
- Must Always be in Control
- Single-Minded
- Bottomless Greed
- Obsessed With Details
- Can't Let Things Go
- Overconfident
- Deep Denial
- Drowning in Greif
Goals & Motivation
- Getting Justice
- Finding a Lost Loved One
- Discovering One’s Destiny
- Solving a crime/mystery
- Overcoming A Fatal Flaw
- End a Conflict
- Find Safety/Stability
- Anonymity
- Fame & Fortune
- Remembered in History
- Songs Written About Heroic or Villainous Acts
- Establish Their Place in Society
- Free a Loved One
- Break a Curse
- Overcome a Fear
- Save a City/Kingdom/World
- Fulfil a Prophecy
- Keep a Prophecy From Happening
- Career Based Goal
- Correcting a Mistake
- Atone for Wrongdoings
- Coping With a Disadvantage in Life
- Moving Past Grief
- Find a Lost Relic
- Find Love
- Acquire Their Vision of “Happily Ever After”
- See The World
- Escape Their Current Life
- Gain Control
- Let Something/Someone go
- Become Feared
- Overcome Prejudice
- Become Wealthy or Royalty
- Prove Someone(s) Wrong