Personality in Depth — B2 Essential Words
Ten essential B2 words (Personality) with the complete apparatus: pronunciation, simple definitions, natural American examples, collocations, family, the common mistake and spoken usage — plus a 15-question practice quiz. Mark your status on every word.
mature /məˈtʃʊər/ adjective B2 Personality
Meaning: Behaving like a responsible adult; fully grown or developed.
Example: She's very mature for her age.
Another example: The mature trees shade the whole garden.
Collocations: mature for her age · a mature decision · mature trees
Synonyms: adult, grown-up, developed
Antonyms: immature, childish
Word family: maturity (n) · mature (v) · maturely (adv)
⚠ Common mistake: Mature praises people beyond their years and describes cheese, wine, and trees without insult. Immature is its schoolyard opposite.
🗣 In spoken American English: The compliment every teenager wants and every plan needs.
Register: Neutral — personality essential.
reliable /rɪˈlaɪəbəl/ adjective B2 Personality
Meaning: Able to be trusted to do what is promised; dependable in quality.
Example: He's a reliable worker — always on time.
Another example: We need a reliable car for the trip.
Collocations: a reliable person · reliable source · reliable car
Synonyms: dependable, trustworthy, steady
Antonyms: unreliable, risky
Word family: reliability (n) · rely (v) · reliably (adv)
⚠ Common mistake: People, cars, and information can all be reliable — the word certifies trust in any of them.
🗣 In spoken American English: References exist to swear it: 'She is reliable.'
Register: Neutral — character essential.
loyal /ˈlɔɪəl/ adjective B2 Personality
Meaning: Firmly supporting and faithful to a person, group, or cause, in good times and bad.
Example: Dogs are loyal friends.
Another example: She stayed loyal to the company for 20 years.
Collocations: loyal to · a loyal friend · loyal customers
Synonyms: faithful, devoted, true
Antonyms: disloyal, treacherous
Word family: loyalty (n) · loyally (adv)
⚠ Common mistake: Loyalty is tested in bad times only. Brands beg for it; friends prove it.
🗣 In spoken American English: The dog waiting at the station every day is its world symbol.
Register: Neutral — character essential.
dishonest /dɪsˈɒnɪst/ adjective B2 Personality
Meaning: Not truthful; likely to lie, cheat, or steal.
Example: Dishonest sellers cheat tourists.
Another example: It was dishonest to copy her work.
Collocations: a dishonest person · dishonest behavior · dishonest about
Synonyms: lying, cheating, corrupt
Antonyms: honest, truthful
Word family: dishonesty (n) · dishonestly (adv)
⚠ Common mistake: Dis- flips honest completely. Dishonest covers lying, cheating, and stealing — the whole dark family.
🗣 In spoken American English: Reviews and courts hunt it; friendships end on it.
Register: Neutral — character judgment.
humble /ˈhʌmbəl/ adjective B2 Personality
Meaning: Not proud or arrogant; modest about your own importance or success.
Example: Despite his fame, he stayed humble.
Another example: She gave a humble answer about her award.
Collocations: stay humble · a humble person · humble beginnings
Synonyms: modest, unassuming, down-to-earth
Antonyms: arrogant, proud (bad sense), boastful
Word family: humility (n) · humbly (adv) · humble (v)
⚠ Common mistake: Humble beginnings means a poor or simple start — a biography's classic first chapter. The H is spoken (unlike 'honest').
🗣 In spoken American English: Champions who credit their team wear it best.
Register: Neutral — character praise.
sensitive /ˈsensɪtɪv/ adjective B2 Personality
Meaning: Easily affected by feelings or by physical things; understanding other people's feelings well. (In other sets: pricing sensitivity — the same word, business sense.)
Example: She's sensitive to criticism.
Another example: Babies have sensitive skin.
Collocations: sensitive to · sensitive skin · a sensitive topic
Synonyms: delicate, aware, touchy (easily offended)
Antonyms: insensitive, tough, thick-skinned
Word family: sensitivity (n) · sensitively (adv)
⚠ Common mistake: Sensitive is double-edged: a gift (understands feelings) and a risk (easily hurt). Topics and teeth can be sensitive too.
🗣 In spoken American English: Good managers learn which topics are sensitive before meetings, not during.
Register: Neutral — feelings essential.
patient /ˈpeɪʃənt/ adjective / noun B2 Personality
Meaning: Able to wait calmly without getting angry; (noun) a person receiving medical care.
Example: Be patient — the bus will come.
Another example: The patient waited for the doctor.
Collocations: be patient · patient with · a hospital patient
Synonyms: calm, tolerant, sick person (noun)
Antonyms: impatient, rushed
Word family: patience (n) · patiently (adv)
⚠ Common mistake: One spelling, two lives: the quality (patience) and the hospital's customer. Context and article ('A patient') split them.
🗣 In spoken American English: Fishing, teaching, and traffic all demand the adjective.
Register: Neutral — character essential.
generous /ˈdʒenərəs/ adjective B2 Personality
Meaning: Willing to give money, time, or help freely and in large amounts.
Example: A generous donor paid for the library.
Another example: She's generous with her time.
Collocations: generous with · a generous gift · generous to
Synonyms: giving, charitable, open-handed
Antonyms: selfish, stingy, mean
Word family: generosity (n) · generously (adv)
⚠ Common mistake: Generous with money, time, praise — the object tells the story. A 'generous portion' of food borrows the kindness for size.
🗣 In spoken American English: Tipping, mentoring, donating: the word blesses them all.
Register: Neutral — character praise.
wise /waɪz/ adjective B2 Personality
Meaning: Having deep knowledge and good judgment from experience; able to make sensible decisions.
Example: My grandmother gives wise advice.
Another example: It was wise to save money early.
Collocations: wise advice · a wise decision · wise words
Synonyms: sensible, sage, experienced
Antonyms: foolish, unwise, naive
Word family: wisdom (n) · wisely (adv)
⚠ Common mistake: Wise is knowledge PLUS judgment — clever is fast; wise is right. 'Wise to' frames smart decisions ('You'd be wise to wait').
🗣 In spoken American English: Owls and grandfathers share its mascot rights.
Register: Neutral — character praise.
foolish /ˈfuːlɪʃ/ adjective B2 Personality
Meaning: Silly or unwise; showing poor judgment.
Example: It was foolish to drive in the storm.
Another example: He felt foolish after the mistake.
Collocations: a foolish mistake · foolish to · feel foolish
Synonyms: silly, stupid (harsher), unwise
Antonyms: wise, sensible, smart
Word family: foolishly (adv) · foolishness (n) · fool (n)
⚠ Common mistake: Foolish is gentler than stupid — use it for actions and moments, carefully for people. 'Feel foolish' = embarrassed by your own mistake.
🗣 In spoken American English: April 1st is its national holiday (April Fools' Day).
Register: Neutral — character judgment.
Practice — Personality in Depth
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