Describing character

ambition noun. /æmˈbɪʃn/

tham vọng, chí tiến thủ

the desire or strength of mind to be successful, rich, powerful, etc.

Her ambition helped her start a business at the age of nineteen.

cheerfulness noun. /ˈtʃɪəflnəs/

sự vui vẻ, tươi tỉnh (kể cả khi gặp khó khăn)

behaviour that shows you are happy, especially in a difficult situation

The nurse's cheerfulness made the long night easier for everyone.

creativity noun. /ˌkriːeɪˈtɪvəti/

sự sáng tạo

the use of skill and imagination to produce something new or to produce art

A good designer needs a lot of creativity.

enthusiasm noun. /ɪnˈθjuːziæzəm/

sự nhiệt tình, hăng hái

a strong feeling of excitement and interest in something and a desire to become involved in it

The new coach talked about the project with real enthusiasm.

flexibility noun. /ˌfleksəˈbɪləti/

sự linh hoạt

the ability to change to suit new conditions or situations

Hotel work needs flexibility because the hours often change.

generosity noun. /ˌdʒenəˈrɒsəti/

sự hào phóng, rộng lượng

the fact of being generous (= willing to do kind things or give somebody money, gifts or time freely)

Thanks to the generosity of local people, the school got new computers.

honesty noun. /ˈɒnəsti/

sự trung thực

the quality of being honest

Employers value honesty more than a perfect CV.

idealism noun. /aɪˈdiːəlɪzəm/

tính lý tưởng, niềm tin vào lý tưởng

the belief that a perfect life, situation, etc. can be achieved, even when this is not very likely

Many young volunteers are full of idealism and want to change the world.

intelligence noun. /ɪnˈtelɪdʒəns/

trí thông minh

the ability to learn, understand and think in a logical way about things; the ability to do this well

You need intelligence and patience to solve problems like this.

loyalty noun. /ˈlɔɪəlti/

lòng trung thành

the quality of being constant in your support of somebody/something

The company rewards the loyalty of staff who stay for many years.

maturity noun. /məˈtʃʊərəti/

sự chín chắn, trưởng thành

the quality of thinking and behaving in a sensible, adult manner

She showed great maturity when she dealt with the angry customer.

modesty noun. /ˈmɒdəsti/

sự khiêm tốn

the fact of not talking much about your abilities or possessions

Despite his success, he talks about his work with modesty.

optimism noun. /ˈɒptɪmɪzəm/

sự lạc quan

a feeling that good things will happen and that something will be successful

Her optimism kept the team going when sales were low.

patience noun. /ˈpeɪʃns/

sự kiên nhẫn

the ability to stay calm and accept a delay or something annoying without complaining

Teaching young children takes a lot of patience.

pessimism noun. /ˈpesɪmɪzəm/

sự bi quan

a feeling that bad things will happen and that something will not be successful

His pessimism stopped him from applying for the job.

punctuality noun. /ˌpʌŋktʃuˈæləti/

sự đúng giờ

the fact of happening or doing something at the agreed or correct time and not being late

Punctuality matters on your first day at a new school.

realism noun. /ˈriːəlɪzəm/

óc thực tế, tính thực tế

a way of seeing, accepting and dealing with situations as they really are without being influenced by your emotions or false hopes

A bit of realism helps when you plan your first business.

self-confidence noun. /ˌself ˈkɒnfɪdəns/

sự tự tin

confidence in yourself and your abilities

Speaking in class every week improved his self-confidence.

seriousness noun. /ˈsɪəriəsnəs/

sự nghiêm túc

the state of being serious

The team treated the safety rules with great seriousness.

shyness noun. /ˈʃaɪnəs/

sự nhút nhát, e ngại

the feeling of being nervous or embarrassed about meeting and speaking to other people

She overcame her shyness and gave a talk to the whole school.

sociability noun. /ˌsəʊʃəˈbɪləti/

tính hòa đồng, thích giao tiếp

the quality of enjoying spending time with other people

Sociability is useful in a job in tourism.

stubbornness noun. /ˈstʌbənnəs/

tính bướng bỉnh, cố chấp

determination not to change your opinion or attitude

His stubbornness meant he never changed his plan, even when it failed.

sympathy noun. /ˈsɪmpəθi/

sự cảm thông

the feeling of being sorry for somebody; showing that you understand and care about somebody’s problems

The doctor listened to the worried patient with sympathy.

thoughtfulness noun. /ˈθɔːtflnəs/

sự chu đáo, biết quan tâm đến người khác

the quality of thinking about and caring for other people

We thanked our neighbour for her thoughtfulness when she brought us dinner.