C2 English Nouns: Personal Qualities & Mental States
Mastering C2 vocabulary involves moving beyond simple descriptions to articulate the complex inner worlds of individuals. This section provides the lexicon for exploring the abstract yet powerful concepts of character, emotion, and cognition, which are essential for profound analysis in literature, psychology, and philosophy.
This list is divided into two key areas. You will find an extensive collection of nouns describing Personal Qualities & Character Traits, including words like acumen, probity, and temerity. Additionally, it covers a nuanced range of Emotions & Mental States, from ennui and euphoria to trepidation, allowing for precise expression of complex feelings.
Jump to a section:
- People, Roles & Occupations
- Personal Qualities & Character Traits
- Emotions & Mental States
- Conflict, Violence & Warfare
- Governance, Law & Authority
- Crime, Wrongdoing & Punishment
- Morality, Virtue & Ethics
- Knowledge, Learning & Wisdom
- Communication & Expression
- Religion, Spirituality & Belief
- Abstract Concepts & Phenomena
- Philosophy, Thought & Principles
- Natural World & Scientific Processes
- Time, Change & Stages
- Physical Structures, Places & Objects
- Groups & Social Organisation
- Events, Situations & Circumstances
- Hostility, Discord & Opposition
- Chaos, Turmoil & Disruption
- Calm, Rest & Stability
- Hardship, Adversity & Suffering
- Abundance, Scarcity & Resources
- Reputation, Status & Standing
- Tendency, Inclination & Preference
- Compliance, Procedure & Standards
- Ideologies & Movements
- Appearance, Surface & Perception
- Scale, Degree & Extent
Personal Qualities & Character Traits
| Word | Example Sentence | IPA (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| acuity | Her intellectual acuity was impressive.
Word Partners: mental/intellectual acuity
|
/əˈkjuːəti/ |
| acumen | She demonstrated great business acumen in negotiating the deal.
Word Partners: business acumen
|
/əˈkjuːmən/ |
| affectation | His British accent was a pretentious affectation he had adopted whilst at university. | /ˌæfekˈteɪʃn/ |
| alacrity | She accepted the challenging offer with alacrity.
Word Partners: with alacrity
|
/əˈlækrəti/ |
| aplomb | She handled the difficult situation with considerable aplomb.
Word Partners: with aplomb
|
/əˈplɒm/ |
| aptitude | He showed a natural aptitude for mathematics from an early age. | /ˈæptɪtjuːd/ |
| ardour | His revolutionary ardour cooled as he grew older. | /ˈɑːdə(r)/ |
| arrogance | His arrogance made him many enemies. | /ˈærəɡəns/ |
| audacity | She had the sheer audacity to demand a pay rise after only a week.
Word Partners: sheer audacity
|
/ɔːˈdæsəti/ |
| avarice | His avarice for wealth and power knew no bounds. | /ˈævərɪs/ |
| bravura | The pianist concluded the concert with a bravura performance.
Word Partners: bravura performance
|
/brəˈvjʊərə/ |
| brevity | The speech was admired for its clarity and brevity. | /ˈbrevəti/ |
| calibre | The orchestra attracts musicians of the highest calibre. | /ˈkælɪbə(r)/ |
| candour | I appreciate your refreshing candour on this sensitive matter. | /ˈkændə(r)/ |
| clemency | The judge showed clemency in sentencing due to the defendant's age.
Word Partners: show clemency
|
/ˈkleməsi/ |
| clout | The senator has considerable political clout in Washington. | /klaʊt/ |
| dexterity | The surgeon's manual dexterity was remarkable. | /dekˈsterəti/ |
| diligence | His success was the result of hard work and diligence. | /ˈdɪlɪdʒəns/ |
| effrontery | He had the effrontery to ask for a loan after stealing from me. | /ɪˈfrʌntəri/ |
| fervour | She spoke about the cause with great fervour.
Word Partners: great fervour, religious fervour
|
/ˈfɜːvə(r)/ |
| fidelity | He swore absolute fidelity to the king. | /fɪˈdeləti/ |
| finesse | She handled the delicate negotiations with great finesse. | /fɪˈnes/ |
| foible | We all have our little foibles and weaknesses. | /ˈfɔɪbl/ |
| foolhardiness | Climbing the mountain in a storm was an act of sheer foolhardiness. | /fuːlˈhɑːdinəs/ |
| forbearance | I admired his forbearance in such difficult circumstances. | /fɔːˈbeərəns/ |
| fortitude | She faced her illness with great fortitude. | /ˈfɔːtɪtjuːd/ |
| gluttony | The novel depicts the sin of gluttony in graphic detail. | /ˈɡlʌtəni/ |
| gravitas | The role requires a leader with considerable gravitas and experience. | /ˈɡrævɪtæs/ |
| guile | He used guile and deception to achieve his aims. | /ɡaɪl/ |
| hubris | His hubris led him to believe he could never fail. | /ˈhjuːbrɪs/ |
| hypocrisy | She accused him of blatant hypocrisy. | /hɪˈpɒkrəsi/ |
| idiosyncrasy | Everyone has their own little idiosyncrasies. | /ˌɪdiəˈsɪŋkrəsi/ |
| impropriety | The judge was accused of financial impropriety. | /ˌɪmprəˈpraɪəti/ |
| impudence | He had the impudence to ask for a raise after only a week on the job. | /ˈɪmpjədəns/ |
| inadequacy | He was plagued by feelings of inadequacy. | /ɪnˈædɪkwəsi/ |
| ineptitude | The project's failure was a clear result of managerial ineptitude. | /ɪˈneptɪtjuːd/ |
| ingenuity | The problem was solved thanks to a bit of human ingenuity.
Word Partners: human ingenuity
|
/ˌɪndʒəˈnjuːəti/ |
| intuition | She relied on her intuition and it rarely let her down.
Word Partners: feminine intuition, rely on intuition
|
/ˌɪntjuˈɪʃn/ |
| jocularity | The jocularity of his tone was inappropriate for such a serious occasion. | /ˌdʒɒkjəˈlærəti/ |
| kudos | She received considerable kudos for her pioneering research. | /ˈkjuːdɒs/ |
| largesse | The charity depended on the largesse of wealthy donors. | /lɑːˈdʒes/ |
| lethargy | A sense of lethargy overcame him in the afternoon heat. | /ˈleθədʒi/ |
| levity | A moment of levity during the long meeting was much appreciated. | /ˈlevəti/ |
| lustre | The scandal has lost some of its lustre over the years. | /ˈlʌstə(r)/ |
| malice | There was no malice in his criticism; he was simply being honest. | /ˈmælɪs/ |
| mannerism | His nervous laugh is a well-known mannerism. | /ˈmænərɪzəm/ |
| mediocrity | He refused to accept a life of mediocrity. | /ˌmiːdiˈɒkrəti/ |
| mettle | The young team will have the chance to prove their mettle in the final.
Word Partners: prove/test one's mettle
|
/ˈmetl/ |
| mystique | The director cultivated an air of mystique by rarely giving interviews. | /mɪˈstiːk/ |
| naivety | His political naivety was shocking for someone in his position. | /naɪˈiːvəti/ |
| nonchalance | She faced the difficult exam with a studied nonchalance. | /ˈnɒnʃələns/ |
| panache | She carried off the difficult role with panache.
Word Partners: with panache
|
/pəˈnæʃ/ |
| parsimony | His reputation for parsimony was well-deserved; he never spent a penny unnecessarily. | /ˈpɑːsɪməni/ |
| pedantry | His speech was full of needless pedantry. | /ˈpedəntri/ |
| perseverance | Success requires hard work and perseverance. | /ˌpɜːsɪˈvɪərəns/ |
| piety | She was admired for her sincere piety and charitable work. | /ˈpaɪəti/ |
| poise | She handled the press conference with remarkable poise and confidence. | /pɔɪz/ |
| probity | He was a man of unquestioned probity. | /ˈprəʊbəti/ |
| proficiency | She achieved native proficiency in three foreign languages.
Word Partners: native proficiency
|
/prəˈfɪʃnsi/ |
| prowess | He was known for his athletic prowess.
Word Partners: athletic prowess, physical prowess
|
/ˈpraʊəs/ |
| prudence | Financial prudence is essential in uncertain times. | /ˈpruːdns/ |
| pungency | The pungency of the cheese was a little too strong for my taste. | /ˈpʌndʒənsi/ |
| rectitude | He was a man of great moral rectitude.
Word Partners: moral rectitude
|
/ˈrektɪtjuːd/ |
| savagery | The film depicted the brutal savagery of war. | /ˈsævɪdʒri/ |
| servility | The boss demanded unquestioning servility from his staff. | /sɜːˈvɪləti/ |
| shrewdness | She was known for her business shrewdness and sharp negotiating skills. | /ˈʃruːdnəs/ |
| stamina | The race requires both speed and stamina. | /ˈstæmɪnə/ |
| steadfastness | She was admired for her steadfastness in the face of adversity. | /ˈstedfɑːstnəs/ |
| stealth | The cat approached its prey with stealth. | /stelθ/ |
| stoicism | He bore his suffering with quiet stoicism. | /ˈstəʊɪsɪzəm/ |
| subservience | He refused to show subservience to anyone. | /səbˈsɜːviəns/ |
| tact | She handled the sensitive situation with great tact and diplomacy.
Word Partners: diplomatic tact
|
/tækt/ |
| temerity | He had the temerity to question her expert decision. | /təˈmerəti/ |
| temperament | She has a calm temperament that is well-suited to teaching. | /ˈtemprəmənt/ |
| temperance | He practised temperance in all aspects of his life. | /ˈtempərəns/ |
| tenacity | Her tenacity in pursuing her goals was admirable. | /təˈnæsəti/ |
| thrift | They lived a life of thrift and careful budgeting. | /θrɪft/ |
| timidity | Her natural timidity made public speaking a terrifying experience. | /tɪˈmɪdəti/ |
| valour | The soldier was awarded a medal for conspicuous valour. | /ˈvælə(r)/ |
| vanity | His vanity made him spend hours in front of the mirror. | /ˈvænəti/ |
| veracity | I have no reason to doubt the veracity of her account. | /vəˈræsəti/ |
| versatility | Her greatest asset as an actor is her versatility. | /ˌvɜːsəˈtɪləti/ |
| vigilance | The security forces were urged to maintain constant vigilance. | /ˈvɪdʒələns/ |
| vigour | He began his new job with renewed vigour and enthusiasm. | /ˈvɪɡə(r)/ |
| wickedness | The fairytale tells a simple story of good versus evil and wickedness. | /ˈwɪkɪdnəs/ |
| workmanship | The antique table was a fine example of skilled workmanship. | /ˈwɜːkmənʃɪp/ |
| zest | She approached life with tremendous zest and enthusiasm. | /zest/ |
Emotions & Mental States
| Word | Example Sentence | IPA (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| anguish | She cried out in anguish when she heard the terrible news. | /ˈæŋɡwɪʃ/ |
| apprehension | She waited with growing apprehension for the test results. | /ˌæprɪˈhenʃn/ |
| bereavement | The company offers bereavement counselling to employees who have lost a loved one.
Word Partners: bereavement counselling
|
/bɪˈriːvmənt/ |
| chagrin | Much to my chagrin, I realised I had forgotten my keys.
Word Partners: to someone's chagrin, much to someone's chagrin
|
/ˈʃæɡrɪn/ |
| consternation | The news was greeted with widespread consternation.
Word Partners: widespread consternation
|
/ˌkɒnstəˈneɪʃn/ |
| contrition | He expressed deep contrition for his actions during the trial.
Word Partners: deep contrition, show contrition
|
/kənˈtrɪʃn/ |
| delirium | The patient was suffering from fever and delirium. | /dɪˈlɪriəm/ |
| despondency | He fell into a state of deep despondency after losing his job. | /dɪˈspɒndənsi/ |
| detachment | He observed the chaotic scene with clinical detachment.
Word Partners: clinical detachment, a sense of detachment
|
/dɪˈtætʃmənt/ |
| dismay | To her dismay, she saw that the building had collapsed.
Word Partners: in dismay, to someone's dismay
|
/dɪsˈmeɪ/ |
| ebullience | Her natural ebullience and good humour were infectious. | /ɪˈbʌliəns/ |
| elation | Her initial elation at winning soon gave way to a sense of responsibility. | /ɪˈleɪʃn/ |
| enmity | There was a long history of enmity between the two families. | /ˈenməti/ |
| ennui | A sense of ennui settled over him during the long, uneventful summer. | /ɒnˈwiː/ |
| epiphany | She had a sudden epiphany about what she wanted to do with her life. | /ɪˈpɪfəni/ |
| euphoria | The team's victory was greeted with scenes of euphoria. | /juːˈfɔːriə/ |
| exaltation | She felt a sense of pure exaltation as she reached the mountain summit. | /ˌeɡzɔːlˈteɪʃn/ |
| exultation | The crowd roared in exultation as their team scored the winning goal. | /ˌeɡzʌlˈteɪʃn/ |
| frenzy | The newspapers worked themselves into a media frenzy over the scandal.
Word Partners: media frenzy, feeding frenzy
|
/ˈfrenzi/ |
| gratification | Many people today seek instant gratification.
Word Partners: instant gratification
|
/ˌɡrætɪfɪˈkeɪʃn/ |
| grievance | Employees can raise a formal grievance with management. | /ˈɡriːvns/ |
| hysteria | The false report caused mass hysteria among the public.
Word Partners: mass hysteria
|
/hɪˈstɪəriə/ |
| incredulity | She stared at him in incredulity, unable to believe what he had just said. | /ˌɪnkrəˈdjuːləti/ |
| indifference | His apparent indifference to her suffering hurt her deeply. | /ɪnˈdɪfrəns/ |
| indignation | The proposal was met with public indignation.
Word Partners: public indignation
|
/ˌɪndɪɡˈneɪʃn/ |
| inertia | The government's inertia on the issue frustrated campaigners. | /ɪˈnɜːʃə/ |
| infatuation | His infatuation with her quickly faded. | /ɪnˌfætʃuˈeɪʃn/ |
| ire | The decision provoked the ire of local residents. | /ˈaɪə(r)/ |
| melancholy | A deep melancholy descended on him as winter approached. | /ˈmelənkəli/ |
| misgiving | Despite his assurances, I still have serious misgivings about the plan.
Word Partners: have misgivings
|
/ˌmɪsˈɡɪvɪŋ/ |
| palpitation | He was rushed to hospital suffering from heart palpitations.
Word Partners: heart palpitations
|
/ˌpælpɪˈteɪʃn/ |
| pang | She felt a sudden pang of guilt about her harsh words.
Word Partners: a pang of guilt/regret
|
/pæŋ/ |
| pathos | The scene was full of pathos, leaving the audience in tears. | /ˈpeɪθɒs/ |
| penitence | He expressed deep penitence for his past mistakes. | /ˈpenɪtəns/ |
| pique | In a fit of pique, he stormed out of the meeting. | /piːk/ |
| poignancy | The final scene of the film was filled with a deep poignancy. | /ˈpɔɪnjənsi/ |
| quiver | A quiver of excitement ran through the crowd. | /ˈkwɪvə(r)/ |
| rapture | She stared at the beautiful painting in a state of pure rapture. | /ˈræptʃə(r)/ |
| remorse | He was filled with remorse for what he had done. | /rɪˈmɔːs/ |
| repentance | His apology seemed to show genuine repentance for his actions. | /rɪˈpentəns/ |
| reverie | She was lost in reverie, dreaming of her childhood home. | /ˈrevəri/ |
| rumination | He was lost in a quiet rumination on his past failures. | /ˌruːmɪˈneɪʃn/ |
| serenity | The garden had an air of peaceful serenity. | /səˈrenəti/ |
| solace | She found solace in music after her mother's death. | /ˈsɒləs/ |
| solemnity | The occasion was marked by a mood of great solemnity. | /səˈlemnəti/ |
| spasm | He felt a sudden muscle spasm in his leg. | /ˈspæzəm/ |
| torment | She suffered years of mental torment after the accident. | /ˈtɔːment/ |
| trepidation | She approached the exam with some trepidation.
Word Partners: with trepidation
|
/ˌtrepɪˈdeɪʃn/ |
| unease | There is a growing sense of public unease about the economy. | /ʌnˈiːz/ |
| vertigo | Standing on the edge of the cliff, he was suddenly struck by vertigo. | /ˈvɜːtɪɡəʊ/ |
| weariness | A deep sense of weariness overcame her after the long journey. | /ˈwɪərinəs/ |
| whim | He bought the expensive car on a whim. | /wɪm/ |
| wistfulness | She looked back on her university days with a certain wistfulness. | /ˈwɪstfəlnəs/ |
| yearning | She had a deep yearning for her homeland. | /ˈjɜːnɪŋ/ |
