BE CAREFUL!
Most of these words are not very complimentary. A lot of them have negative connotations, so it’s not a good idea to call a person these names.
sucker
1. Someone who is easily deceived.
- Joe bought a fake gold watch for $5000 because the salesman told him it was real. What a sucker!
2. If you are “a sucker for” something, it means you are especially attracted to it.
- I don’t usually spend so much money on clothes, but I’m a sucker for designer jeans.
chicken
A coward, someone who is not brave, has no courage.
- You’re afraid of a little tiny spider? You’re such a chicken!
The verb “chicken out” means to act in a cowardly manner or to lose your courage:
- She had the opportunity to sing in front of 2000 people, but she chickened out and canceled the performance at the last minute.
nerd
A person who enjoys at science, technology, or obscure (little-known) subjects, but who often doesn’t have good social skills.
- My last boyfriend was a computer nerd – he would rather play video games than go out to a party.
doormat
Someone who submits to domination by others.
- Don’t be a doormat – if your boss is overloading you with work, you need to say something and establish some limits.
airhead
A silly and rather unintelligent person.
- Sally kind of seems like an airhead. She only talks about TV shows and what she ate for dinner last night.
troublemaker
Someone who causes problems.
- Melvin starts fights almost every day at school – he’s a real troublemaker.
klutz
Someone who is clumsy (doesn’t have good motor coordination). A klutz is always dropping things, bumping into things, tripping and falling, etc.
- Oh no, I just broke a wine glass. I’m such a klutz.
jock
An athlete (especially in college).
- Diana only goes out with jocks – she’s into guys with muscles.
oddball
A person who is seen by others as strange, weird, or eccentric.
- Did you hear that Helen quit her job and joined a religion that worships dogs? I’ve always thought she was a bit of an oddball.
cocky
Arrogant or overly self-confident.
- Joe’s rather cocky – he always finds a way to mention how much money he makes.
whiz
A person with a lot of skills in an area.
- Peter is a math whiz – he won a national math competition last year.
black sheep
A person who is seen as a failure or a disgrace by his or her family.
- My cousin Nathan’s been arrested twice for theft. He’s the black sheep of the family.
