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  • Hi everyone. In this video we're going to look  at 50 nouns to describe people's personalities  

  • and behaviours. Now, you might be thinking: don't  adjectives describe things? How can a noun  

  • describe somebody's personality? Well, these are  all nouns that indicate a personality trait or  

  • a certain quality that a person might have. A lot  of these can also be used to describe behaviours.  

  • For example, just because a person  was a coward on a specific occasion,  

  • it doesn't necessarily mean that they're a coward  all the time. It's usually clear from the context  

  • if we mean that a person is generally something  or is just behaving that way in that situation.  

  • I've tried to include positive, neutral  and negative ones, but to be honest,  

  • most of these are more on the negative side. There  are lots of positive adjectives, but I think that  

  • there are just generally more nouns to describe  people who are a pain in the neck, than there are  

  • to describe nice, pleasant people. (People are stupid.) Remember that if you're generally interested in  

  • improving your English vocabulary, you can sign  up for my free advanced English email lessons.  

  • I send them out every two weeks and you can  unsubscribe at any time. You'll find the link  

  • in the description. I also have a short course  on Udemy which covers 55 common mistakes made  

  • by English learners. If you would like to receive  my discount for that, you'll also find the link  

  • in the description. Okay, everybody, let's get  started. The first word is backseat driver.  

  • Backseat driver. A backseat driver is a passenger  in a car who gives unsolicited advice to the  

  • driver. "Unsolicited" is another good word. It means  not asked for. So the person is giving advice to  

  • the driver even though the driver has not asked  for it. And the person doesn't necessarily need  

  • to be in the backseat, but that's the word that we  use in this phrase. For example: I hate driving long  

  • distances with Kate because she can't stop herself  from being a backseat driver. Next we have bigot.  

  • Bigot. I know it looks like "bi-goht", but we  pronounce it "bigot". A bigot is a person who has  

  • very strong beliefs (especially on race, religion  or politics) and is intolerant of, or unwilling  

  • to listen to, other people's opinions. There's no  point having a discussion with Tim, because he's  

  • an opinionated bigot. The next word is blabbermouth.  I like the sound of this word. Blabbermouth.  

  • A blabbermouth is a person who often reveals  other people's secrets because they talk  

  • too much. Don't tell Julie anything that's  private. She's such a blabbermouth and the  

  • whole office would know all your secrets by the  end of the day. Now we have boaster and bragger.  

  • I've put these two together because they mean the  same thing. A boaster or a bragger is a person who  

  • talks very proudly and a lot about  their achievements or possessions.  

  • I won't be going on a second date  with him because he was such a boaster.  

  • Another word that means the same thing is  braggart. Braggart. This is somewhat old-fashioned.  

  • It's not very commonly used nowadays, but you'll  still sometimes see it in books and journalism.  

  • Some people were impressed by her alleged  achievements, but others thought her nothing more  

  • than a braggart. If something is alleged, it means  that it has not been proved. This word is bookworm.  

  • Bookworm. A bookworm isperson who enjoys reading a lot.  

  • When Ethel... Okay, Ethel isn't technicallyperson, but anyway... When Ethel was at school,  

  • she was a real bookworm, but now she much prefers outdoor activities.

  • Next we have bore.

  • Bore. A bore is a person who is boringusually because they talk too much about  

  • uninteresting things. I hope I don't have  to sit next to Uncle Dave at the wedding.  

  • He's such a bore. Next we have bratBrat. A brat is a badly behaved child,  

  • or somebody who behaves like a badly behaved  child. It's often preceded by the word "spoiled".  

  • "Spoiled" has a few meanings, but when we're  talking about children, we mean a child who  

  • behaves rudely because they are used to getting  what they want all the time. For example: She's  

  • 30 years old, but she still behaves likespoiled brat when she doesn't get her way.

  • Next we have brown-nose and brown-noser. Both  of these mean the same thing. A brown-nose or  

  • a brown-noser is a person who tries to  make somebody in a position of authority  

  • like them, usually because they  want that person to approve of them,  

  • or because they want something. It's a person who  sucks up, in other words. These terms come from  

  • the idea that if you put your face too close  to somebody's backside, you will get a brown  

  • nose. I know, it's maybe not the nicest image in  the world, but that's where these terms come from.  

  • Our boss seems to like David, but everyone else just thinks he's a brown-noser.

  • This word is bully.

  • Bully. A bully is a person who deliberately hurts  or frightens somebody who is weaker than them,  

  • often regularly over a period of time. We often use  it to talk about children at school, but adults can  

  • definitely be bullies as well. Our former manager  was a bully, which led to high staff turnover  

  • in our department. Staff turnover is the rate at  which employees leave a workplace and are replaced.  

  • So if staff turnover is high, it usually means  that people are frequently quitting or being fired.  

  • Now we have busybody. Busybody. A busybody  is a person who is too interested in  

  • other people's activities. A busybody is a nosy  person. Don't let her opinions on your life  

  • concern you. She's just an interfering busybodyNext we have butterfingers. Butterfingers. It is  

  • singular, even though there is an S on the end.  A butterfingers is a person who often drops  

  • things that they are carrying or are trying  to catch. It's as if they have slippery butter  

  • on their fingers. If you're a butterfingers, you  shouldn't work as a waiter. This word is chatterbox.  

  • Chatterbox. A chatterbox is a person who  talks a lot. It's usually used for children.  

  • He's very shy at school, but at home he's a  real chatterbox. The next word is cheapskate.  

  • Cheapskate. A cheapskate is a person who  tries to spend as little money as possible

  • It's someone who's stingy. Frank is suchcheapskate that he peels the bananas at the  

  • supermarket before buying them, because he doesn't want to pay for the skins.

  • Next we have conformist.

  • Conformist. A conformist is a person who  behaves or thinks like most other people  

  • and does not want to be different. It's usually  used negatively. Change and innovation rarely  

  • occur in this company because it's full of  conformists. Next we have copycat. Copycat.  

  • A copycat is a person who copies something or  several things that somebody else does. It's  

  • often used by children. "You're such a copycat."  Maggie's always wearing the same clothes as me -

  • she's such a copycat. The  next word is coward. Coward.  

  • I know we had this at the beginning of the  video, but I think that repetition is often good.  

  • A coward is a person who is not brave and tries  hard to avoid danger, pain or embarrassment

  • Henry gives the impression  of being tough and strong,  

  • but he's a real coward when it comes to having  difficult conversations. The next word is crybaby.  

  • Crybaby. A crybaby is a person, especially a childwho cries or complains a lot for no good reason.  

  • As I said, it's usually used for childrenbut sometimes we use it for adults.  

  • I'm sure the needle didn't hurt that muchDon't be such a crybaby. This word is cynic.

  • Cynic. A cynic is a person who believes that people  always act selfishly and are not sincere. When  

  • you read the definition of this word, it probably  sounds very negative, but I'd say that most of us  

  • are cynics at least some of the time. For example:  I'd like to believe that her intentions are good,  

  • but I'm a cynic when it comes to  politicians. And now we have daredevil.  

  • Daredevil. A daredevil is a person who likes  doing dangerous things and taking risks.  

  • Evel Knievel, for example, was often referred to  as a daredevil. Terry was always a daredevil, so  

  • I wasn't surprised in the least when  he said that he'd gone bungee jumping.  

  • And now we have Debbie Downer. Debbie Downer. A  Debbie Downer is a negative or pessimistic person.  

  • I don't want to sound like a Debbie  Downer, but considering those clouds,  

  • I really think we should cancel the picnic.

  • And now: dreamer. Dreamer. A dreamer is a person who has ideas or plans

  • that most other people consider unrealistic. A lot of people said that she was just a dreamer,

  • but she managed to turn her ideas into  a successful business. The next one is eager beaver.

  • Eager beaver. An eager beaver is a person  who is overly keen or enthusiastic  

  • to do something, especially work. It's not  a VERY bad thing to say about somebody,  

  • but it's normally used a little disapprovinglyHe didn't want to get to work too early in case  

  • his new colleagues called him an eager beaverThe next word is eavesdropper. Eavesdropper.  

  • An eavesdropper is a person who listens to  others' private conversations without them knowing.  

  • The verb is to eavesdrop. I never have private  conversations at my desk because my colleague  

  • is such an eavesdropper. And  the next word is flake. Flake.  

  • A flake is a person who isn't very reliable and  forgets things easily. I wouldn't entrust Kate  

  • with taking the money to the bank. She's a total  flake. Now, you probably know the verb to flirt. But  

  • did you know that it is also a noun? A flirt isperson who likes to flirt a lot. It's hard to tell  

  • when Tim really likes someone because he's such  a big flirt. This word is freeloader. Freeloader.  

  • A freeloader is a person who often takes  things from other people (like food or  

  • accommodation) without giving anything in returnIt's similar to "cheapskate" and sometimes the  

  • words are used interchangeably, but a cheapskate  doesn't necessarily take things from other people.  

  • Cheapskates just don't like spending money. Felix  no longer lets his cousin stay at his house  

  • because she's such a freeloaderThe next word is geek. Geek.

  • This has two meanings. Firstly, a geek can beperson who is intelligent, but isn't fashionable  

  • or popular, and often behaves awkwardly  in social situations. Secondly, it can mean  

  • a person who is very enthusiastic and  knows a lot about a particular subject

  • If you've seen The Big Bang Theory, all  of the main characters (except for Penny)  

  • are geeks... in both senses of the word. Some people  use it as an insult, but it can also be used in  

  • an affectionate way. By the way, a synonym is  "nerd". Geek and nerd, they mean the same thing.  

  • Everyone said that she was a real geek at high  school, but at university she was very popular.  

  • It can be handy if you have a friend who  is a computer geek. This word is glutton.  

  • Glutton. I know it might look like "glue-tohn", but the  pronunciation is "glutton". A glutton is a person who  

  • often eats and drinks too much. For  example: He's not usually a big eater,  

  • but he's a total glutton at  parties. The next word is go-getter.  

  • Go-getter. A go-getter is a person with a lot of  energy who is determined to succeed. We use this  

  • word positively. Our startup is looking to hire  go-getters who are well-organised and motivated.

  • Next we have gold digger. Gold diggerGold digger. A gold digger is a person  

  • who has a romantic relationship with a much  richer person in order to get money or gifts.  

  • Well-off people are sometimes hesitant to reveal  their wealth to potential partners because they  

  • don't want to attract gold diggers. "Well-off" is  just another word for rich. The next word is grouch.  

  • Grouch. A grouch is a person who complains  a lot, usually in a slightly angry way

  • If you've ever watched Sesame Street, you might  remember the character Oscar the Grouch. He's the  

  • green little character that lives in  a rubbish bin and is usually angry.  

  • That might help you remember the meaning. I'm  never traveling with Mary again. She was such  

  • a grouch the whole time. The next word is  very similar to grouch. This one is grump.  

  • Grump. A grump is a person who is often in  a bad mood. I know this might sound a little  

  • ageist, but we often use it to  describe an angry older person.  

  • Don't pay attention to my neighbour. He's  an old grump. And now we have homebody.  

  • Homebody. A homebody is a person who enjoys  spending lots of time at home. For example:  

  • I'm a homebody, so I don't like travelling for  long periods of time. The next word is idealist.  

  • Idealist. An idealist is a person who believes that  good things can be achieved in the world even if  

  • this seems unrealistic to othersAn idealist is similar to a dreamer,  

  • but an idealist tends to focus more on standards  and moral principles. The young politician has been  

  • accused of being an idealist with impractical  policy proposals. And this word is klutz.

  • Klutz. A klutz is a person who often drops  things, bumps into things, falls, etc. A klutz  

  • is a clumsy person. I'm a bit of a klutz which  is why I often have bruises on my arms and legs.  

  • I actually have one right now. It's fadinglittle bit, but I think you can still see it...  

  • somewhere there. And I have no idea how I got  it. And now we have know-all and know-it-all.  

  • Both of these mean the same thing. A know-all or a know-it-all behaves like they know everything or  

  • much more than other people. My colleague is such  a know-all and is always trying to give me advice.  

  • This word is materialist. Materialist.  A materialist is a person who believes  

  • that having money and possessions  is the most important thing in life.  

  • I'm not surprised that she's often buying new cars - she's always been a materialist. Next we have nag.  

  • Nag. A nag is a person who continually  asks somebody to do something  

  • in an annoying way. People often call their  parents, their partners, or their flatmates nags.  

  • Frank, I don't want to be a nag, but I've  asked you five times to clean your room.

  • And now we have party pooper. Party pooper. A party  pooper is a person who spoils other people's  

  • fun, often because they don't want to  participate in a fun activity.  

  • Ethel, don't be such a party pooper and play one game of Monopoly with us.

  • Next we have phoney.

  • Phoney. A phoney is a person who is insincere or  claims to be something that they are not. For  

  • example: Simon claims to have a PhD in philosophybut I think he's a total phoney. This word is  

  • pushover. Pushover. A pushover is a person who is  easily persuaded to do what somebody else wants.  

  • I highly doubt Janet will agree to do your work  for you - she's no pushover. The next word is realist.  

  • Realist. A realist is a person who sees and  accepts what is real or possible in a situation.  

  • George would love to be an opera singer, but he's a  realist and he knows that it probably won't happen.

  • Next we have scatterbrain. Scatterbrain. A  scatterbrain is a person who easily loses  

  • or forgets things, or doesn't think about things  in an organised way. "Scatterbrain" is similar to  

  • "flake", but to me "flake" sounds a bit more  critical and negative. "Scatterbrain" isn't  

  • exactly a positive word, but it's not THAT bad  either. My boss is a bit of a scatterbrain, so  

  • I always need to remind her when she has a meetingWe're almost at the end, guys. This word is show-off

  • Show-off. A show-off is a person who tries to  impress others by showing what they can do  

  • or what they own in a way that others find  annoying. He's always driving around the  

  • neighbourhood in his new BMW. He's  such a show-off. This one is slob.

  • Slob. A slob is a person who is lazy and untidy. She  looks like a slob, but she's actually a successful  

  • entrepreneur. The next one is social climberSocial climber. A social climber is a person who  

  • tries to gain a higher social position by becoming  friendly with people from a higher social class.  

  • If you know the story Vanity Fair by  William Thackeray, you'll know the character  

  • Becky Sharp. She's a good example of a social  climber. Everyone suspected he was a social climber  

  • because at parties he was only friendly with  the rich people. This one is straight shooter.  

  • Straight shooter. This is quite a positive  word. A straight shooter is a person who is  

  • direct and very honest. Ethel is a straight  shooter and will always say what she means.

  • The next word is user. User. This word hascouple of meanings. Firstly, it can simply mean  

  • a person who uses a service, productmachine, etc. When it has that meaning,  

  • it's very neutral, but when it refers to  somebody's personality, it means a person who  

  • takes advantage of a relationship with somebody  just to get what they want. It's not necessarily a  

  • romantic relationship. The other person might befriend or a relative. I honestly think that Julia  

  • is a user and is only friends with you because  you help her a lot. And the final one is worrywart.  

  • Worrywart. A worrywart is a person who worrieslot, often about unimportant things. I admit that  

  • I am a bit of a worrywart, although I... I tend  to worry less about things as I get older.  

  • I know for some other people it's the reverseBut in any case, here's an example: I'd say  

  • George is sometimes a worrywart, because he  often thinks that he's going to fail exams  

  • even when he's studied very hard. That's it, everybodyThank you very much for watching. I hope you  

  • learned something. If you already knew some of  these words, please let me know in the comments  

  • because I would be very curious to know which  ones. Thanks again, guys. I'll see you next time. Bye!

  • ... know, but if...

  • ... words, please let them...

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  • Loud motorcycles!

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  • And the next word...

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  • He's very sy... he's very  shy at school...

  • The next one is...

  • ... such a blabbebermouth... blabbermouth... she's such a blabberm...

  • Okay.

Hi everyone. In this video we're going to look  at 50 nouns to describe people's personalities  

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