Describing people--Character

Intellectual ability

Ability---intelligent; bright; smart; able; figted; clever; shrewd; talented; brainy(colloquial)
Lacking ability---stupid; foolish; simple; silly; brainless; dumb; clueless;(the last three are colloquial)
Clever, in a negative way, using brains to trick or deceive---cunning; crafty; sly;

Attitudes toward life
Looking on the bright side or the dark side----optimistic; pessimistic;
Outward-looking or inward-looking----extroverted; introverted;
Calm or not calm---relaxed; tense/ anxious;
Practical, not dreamy---sensible; down to earth;
Feeling things intensely---sensitive;

Attitudes toward other people

Enjoying others' company---sociable; gregarious; congenial;
Disagreeing with others---quarrelsome; argumentative;
Taking pleasure in others' pain---cruel; sadistic;
Relaxed in attitude toward self and others---easygoing; even-tempered; affable;
Not polite to others----impolite; rude; ill-mannered; discourteous(formal)
Telling the truth/keeping promises----honest; trustworthy; reliable; sincere;
Unhappy if others have what one does not---jealous; envious;

One person's meat is another one's poison

The words in the right-hand column mean roughly the same as the words in the left-hand column except that they have negative rather than positive connotations.

Positive	Negative
determined
thrifty/economical
self-assured/confident
assertive
unconventional/original
frank/direct/open
broad-minded
inquiring
generous
innocent
ambitous