40 English Idioms For Personality And Character

English idioms play a vital role in everyday English. Using idioms will make your English more native. In order to understand native speaker and take part in the conversation, you should become familiar with commonly used idioms.

You can start by learning the quiet common English idioms. Today, let’s have a look at some popular English idioms for personality and character. First of all, let us know the definition of English idioms.

Definition of an idiom

“An idiom is an expression or a phrase that has a particular meaning which is different from the meaning of the individual words.”

Let’s see some examples of English personality idioms to describe a person’s personality and character that are given below and marked as bold for easy identification:

• Your sister is a real lone wolf as always prefers own company.
• Stop being a couch potato. I’m really sick and tired of you.
• I like her as she’s so friendly and down-to-earth.

List of 40 English Idioms for Personality & Character with Meaning and Examples

Learn the most common 40 idioms to describe a person’s personality and character with given meaning and examples:

1. Social butterfly

A person who loves to socialize and enjoys meeting with others.

Examples:

• She is more reserved, but her friend is a social butterfly.
• Why do you want to be a social butterfly?

2. Lone wolf

Someone who doesn’t like being around others and always prefers his/her own company.

Examples:

• You are a real lone wolf as always prefer own company.
• I don’t think that she was a lone wolf.

3. Smart cookie

A person who is too clever/intelligent and always finds solutions to problems.

Examples:

• Is she a smart cookie?
• Wow! He completely became a smart cookie.

4. Wallflower

Someone who is too shy and afraid to talk to others at parties.

Examples:

• I was such a wallflower when I was young.
• You are mistaken, my sister wasn’t a wallflower.

5. Party animal

A person who loves to attend parties a lot.

Examples:

• I think you are a party animal as you always attend parties.
• I hate being a party animal. Actually, I’m a lone wolf.

6. Party pooper

Someone who ruins all of the fun at a party or who spoils the pleasure of others.

Examples:

• Don’t be a party pooper!
• She is a party pooper, so I don’t want to make friendship with her.

7. Go-getter

A person who is ambitious and work hard to achieve goals.

Examples:

• She is such a go-getter and she’ll get her destination for sure.
• Everyone must be go-getters.

8. Busybody

Someone who constantly wants to know about other people’s private lives.

Examples:

• Her mother is a busybody. She doesn’t mind her own business.
• Stop being a busybody! I’m fed up with you.

9. Couch potato

A person who spends a lot of time sitting/lying and watching Tv.

Examples:

• Peter is a couch potato. He watches TV throughout the day.
• Do you really enjoy being a couch potato?

10. Night owl

Someone who is usually active late at night.

Examples:

• Are you a night owl?
• I want to be an early bird, but I can’t as I’m always a night owl.

11. Early bird/ Morning person

A person who wakes up early in the morning and is active during the day.

Examples:

• My sister is the early bird in our family.
• She enjoys a lot to be an early bird.

12. Cheapskate

Someone who doesn’t like to spend money.

Examples:

• Your friend is such a cheapskate that he doesn’t even buy things which he really needs.
• He is too cheapskate. All the time he wants to save his money.

13. Life and soul of the party

A person who is energetic and good fun during parties/ social occasions.

Examples:

• It was a great occasion; Maria was life and soul of the party.
• This is a fantastic party, and you became life and soul of the party.

14. Pig-headed

Someone who is stupid or stubborn.

Examples:

• You do not have to be so pig-headed about everything.
• He thinks that she is utterly pig-headed.

15. Behind the time

A person who is old-fashioned; has not adopted modern customs.

Examples:

• I’m not extremely interested in social media. Actually, I’m a bit behind the times.
• It’s a modern time and you are still behind the times. I can’t believe it!

16. Down-to-earth

Down-to earth means someone who is practical, sensible, and realistic.

Examples:

• She is so friendly and down-to-earth.
• He is completely down-to-earth as well as intelligent.

17. Eager beaver

A person who is very enthusiastic, energetic, and hard worker.

Examples:

• I was an eager beaver when I first took up golf.
• She can easily do it as everyone knows that how an eager beaver she is.

18. Chatterbox

Someone who talks a lot. It means who is an overly talkative person.

Examples:

• She is too shy whereas her friend is a chatterbox.
• He is a chatterbox, and I don’t want to talk to him as he always wastes my time.

19. Worrywart

A person who worries excessively and needlessly.

Examples:

• Don’t be a worrywart. Everything is going to be just fine.
• It’s no use being a worrywart. Just focus on your work now.

20. Troublemaker

Someone who always causes problems for other.

Examples:

• Stop being a troublemaker!
• She never cares others. She is a real troublemaker and selfish too.

21. Wimp

A person who lacks confidence.

Examples:

• She couldn’t speak a single word on the stage because she was such a wimp.
• It’s no use cry over spilled milk and don’t represent yourself as a wimp. Be confident!

22. Snake in the grass

Someone whom you trust that betrays (cheats) you.

Examples:

• I thought she was a good girl, but she was snake in the grass.
• It’s really beyond of my imagination as I can’t believe that he is always snake in the grass.

23. Pain in the neck

Someone or something that is very irritating or difficult to deal with.

Examples:

• One of the students is a real pain in the neck in that class.
• Yesterday, I was studying, and that drum sound was totally a pain in the neck.

24. Bright spark

A person who is intelligent and clever.

Examples:

• John is a bright spark and passionate about his job.
• I’m not kidding! Your best friend is a real bright spark.

25. Cold fish

Someone who has very little emotions, who is regarded as hard-hearted and seems unfriendly.

Examples:

• He never helps others. He is a cold fish.
• Why do you think that she is cold fish?

26. Dark horse

A person who keeps his /her skills secret and surprises others by doing something unexpected.

Examples:

• She is a dark horse. I had no idea she’d published a book.
• Your brother is a dark horse. I didn’t believe that he would win the match.

27. Big mouth

This idiom means someone who isn’t able to keep a secret.

Examples:

• Never tell her about this matter because she has got a big mouth.
• Does he have a big mouth?

28. Busy bee / As busy as a bee / Busy as a bee

A person who enjoys doing a lot of thing and always keeps himself/herself busy.

Examples:

• She can’t attend the party as she has a lot of work. She is a busy bee.
• I can’t go with you, I’m as busy as bee.
• Last week was pouring and my mother was busy as bee.

29. Wise guy

Someone who is always trying to present himself cleverer than everyone else.

Examples:

• He is such a wise guy. He always thinks he is right.
• Actually, you aren’t a wise guy as you always think.

30. Straightforward

A person who is honest, truthful, and sincere.

Examples:

• She is a straightforward teacher.
• Turn over a new leaf and be a straightforward student.

31. Wet blanket / Stick-in-the-mud

Someone who spoils other people’s enjoyment.

Examples:

• You should not invite him to the party. She is such a wet blanket.
• I’m dead certain that he’s still a wet blanket.

32. Rotten apple

A person who is dishonest, especially one that spoils the group.

Examples:

• Sita has become a rotten apple.
• We shouldn’t let him join in our team because he is a rotten apple.

33. Happy camper

Someone who is always happy and satisfied. “Happy camper” also used in the negative.

Examples:

• He got a new job, and he is just a happy camper.
• You’ve got a big present on your birthday by your father, but you’re not a happy camper. Why?

34. People person

A person who is very friendly and enjoy being with other people.

Examples:

• Though she likes her friends, but she is not a people person.
• His best friend is a people person as well as open-minded.

35. know-it-all

One who acts as if he/she knows everything much more than other people.

Examples:

• Her friends are always know-it-all.
• Don’t be know-it-all every time!

36. Good egg

Someone who is good, kind, and trustworthy.

Examples:

• What a good egg you are! Thank you for all your help.
• Don’t worry about it because she’s a good egg and she can’t forget the promises.

37. Daydreamer

A person who has dreamlike thought instead of focusing on present.

Examples:

• She is a daydreamer and never works hard.
• Were you a daydreamer when you were young?

38. Slave driver

Someone who makes other people work very hard.

Examples:

• My teacher is a real slave driver.
• I’m so glad that you are a slave driver.

40. Jack-of-all-trades

A person who can do several jobs very well.

Examples:

• Are you a jack-of-all-trades?
• He is not a jack-of-all trades but a couch potato.

Try to use these personality idioms in your own sentences. It will be effective and very useful. keep learning!