Literary Character Archetypes

noun a plant with pink or red heart-shaped flowers

• The bleeding heart plant is known for its unique heart-shaped flowers.
• My grandmother is a bleeding heart when it comes to helping others in need.
• Some people call her a bleeding heart liberal because of her strong beliefs in social justice.
• His bleeding heart led him to donate all his savings to the charity.

noun a person who is considered to be a cad or a scoundrel

• The man was known in society as a bounder for his unscrupulous behavior.
• That guy is a real bounder, always trying to cheat his way through things.
• Watch out for that bounder, he's nothing but trouble.
• In the world of politics, he was considered a bounder for his deceitful tactics.

noun a member of the clergy, especially a priest, minister, or religious leader

adjective relating to the clergy or religious officials

• The cleric presided over the religious ceremony with grace and solemnity.
• The cleric is always there to offer guidance and support to the community.
• I heard the cleric throws the best parties in town.
• The cleric's words were like a soothing balm to the troubled souls in the congregation.

noun refers to a group of individuals in society who are not considered to be part of the elite or upper class

• The government should prioritize policies that benefit the common people.
• Common people like us just want to live a comfortable life.
• Hey, the common folk are just trying to make ends meet.
• In the grand scheme of things, the common people hold the power.

noun an old woman who is thin and ugly

• The crone lived alone in a small cottage at the edge of the village.
• I heard that old crone down the street has a lot of cats.
• That crone is always gossiping about everyone in town.
• The crone of the forest was said to possess magical powers.

noun a chaperone or older woman in charge of young ladies, especially in a Spanish-speaking country

noun a person who is excessively conceited or self-centered

• The egotist only talked about themselves during the entire meeting.
• Don't invite him to the party, he's such an egotist.
• That guy is a total egotist, always boasting about his achievements.
• His ego is so big, he could be mistaken for an egotist.

• The gentry of the town were known for their elegant manners and refined tastes.
• The gentry always throw the best parties in town.
• The gentry are the fancy folks who live in the big houses on the hill.
• In the world of finance, the gentry are the elite investors who control the markets.

noun a woman employed to teach and train children in a private household

• The governess was hired to educate and care for the children of the wealthy family.
• The governess is like a live-in tutor for the kids.
• The governess is basically the kids' babysitter with a fancy title.
• She played the role of a governess in the lives of her younger siblings, guiding and teaching them as they grew up.

adjective describing someone who is passionate or quick to anger

• The doctor explained that some people are naturally hot blooded, meaning they have a higher body temperature than others.
• My friend is so hot blooded, she's always sweating even when it's not that hot outside.
• I can't dance with John, he's too hot blooded and always steps on my toes!
• The team captain was known for being hot blooded on the field, always ready to fight for his team.

noun a naive, innocent, or unsophisticated young woman, especially in a play or film

• The young actress portrayed the role of the ingénue in the classic play.
• She's always cast as the ingénue because of her innocent looks.
• She's the new ingénue in town, everyone is talking about her.
• In a world full of cynics, she was seen as the ingénue with her optimistic outlook.

noun A woman who is the owner or manager of a lodging establishment, such as a hotel or apartment building.

• The landlady informed us that rent would be increasing next month.
• Our landlady is really nice and always fixes things quickly when they break.
• The landlady is pretty chill, she doesn't mind if we have friends over late.
• The landlady of the building is like a guardian, always looking out for us tenants.

noun a person who is excessively interested in sex, often in a way that is considered inappropriate or offensive

• The court found the lecher guilty of sexual harassment.
• That lecher at the bar was hitting on everyone.
• Don't trust that lecher, he's only after one thing.
• His eyes had a lecherous gleam, like a predator stalking its prey.

noun a person who is idle or lazy, especially one who avoids work or responsibility

• The gentleman wore a pair of leather loafers to the business meeting.
• He's always just lounging around in his loafers, never doing any work.
• Check out those sick loafers he's rocking!
• She's a loafer when it comes to helping out with chores around the house.

noun a person, typically a woman, who is considered to be sexually promiscuous or immoral

• The gossip about the loose woman in town spread quickly.
• Did you hear about the loose woman who moved in next door?
• That bar is known for attracting a lot of loose women.
• She was labeled a loose woman by society for her unconventional choices.

noun A person who leads a life of dreamy, indolent ease, indifferent to the busy world; a person who is content with a life of luxury and pleasure.

• The lotus eater in the ancient Greek myth was a character who indulged in a life of leisure and pleasure.
• My friend is such a lotus eater, always lounging around and never wanting to do anything productive.
• Don't be a lotus eater and waste your whole day on the couch.
• Being a lotus eater can be tempting, but it's important to stay motivated and work towards your goals.

noun a person who plots or schemes, especially in a devious way

• The machinator behind the scheme was finally brought to justice.
• I heard that the machinator got caught red-handed.
• The machinator thought they could pull a fast one, but they got caught.
• The political machinator carefully orchestrated the downfall of his rival.

noun a medieval singer or musician, especially one who sang or recited lyric or heroic poetry to a musical accompaniment

• The minstrel entertained the royal court with his beautiful music.
• The minstrel played some tunes at the local tavern last night.
• That minstrel dude can really shred on the guitar!
• She was like a minstrel, weaving stories with her words.

noun a pert, impudent, or flirtatious young woman

• The young woman was often referred to as a minx due to her flirtatious behavior.
• That girl is such a minx, always playing games with guys' hearts.
• I can't believe that minx stole my boyfriend right in front of me!
• The cat was a clever little minx, always finding ways to get into places it shouldn't be.

adjective showing a dislike or distrust of humankind

• The philosopher's misanthropic views led him to believe that humans were inherently selfish and untrustworthy.
• She's known for her misanthropic attitude towards social gatherings.
• I can't stand hanging out with him anymore, he's just too misanthropic for my taste.
• His misanthropic nature was like a dark cloud hanging over every interaction he had with others.

noun a person who is wise and experienced, especially in a particular field

• Nestor was regarded as the wisest and most experienced member of the council.
• Hey, have you met Nestor? He's the go-to guy for advice around here.
• Nestor is like the OG of our group - he's been around forever.
• In the world of business, Nestor is like the eagle that watches over the rest of us.

noun a woman or girl employed to look after a young child or children.

• The nursemaid was responsible for taking care of the young children in the household.
• The nursemaid always had her hands full with the rowdy kids.
• The nursemaid was like a babysitter on steroids.
• She acted as a nursemaid to her friends, always looking out for their well-being.

noun a woman who has never been married and is considered to be past the usual age for marrying

adjective referring to a woman who has never been married and is considered to be past the usual age for marrying

• In the 19th century, being an old maid was often seen as a social stigma.
• My great aunt never married and some people jokingly call her the old maid of the family.
• She's been single for so long, her friends tease her and call her the old maid of the group.
• The old maid in the deck of cards represents an unmarried woman who is considered past her prime.

noun A person who has a lot of money or valuable possessions

adjective Describing someone who has a lot of money or valuable possessions

• The rich man donated a large sum of money to the charity.
• That rich man drives a fancy sports car.
• The rich dude is living the high life.
• The rich man's heart was as cold as ice.

noun a clumsy or inept person

• The schlemiel in the office always seemed to make mistakes that cost the company money.
• Don't be such a schlemiel and forget your keys at home again.
• He's such a schlemiel, always tripping over his own feet.
• She felt like a schlemiel in the dating world, constantly making awkward mistakes.

noun a bad-tempered or aggressively assertive woman.

• The shrew is a small insectivorous mammal with a long, pointed snout.
• My sister can be a real shrew when she's in a bad mood.
• Don't be such a shrew, lighten up and have some fun!
• Her sharp tongue earned her a reputation as a shrew among her peers.

noun a person who transgresses against divine law by committing sin

• The priest reminded the congregation that everyone is a sinner and in need of repentance.
• I heard that guy is a real sinner, always getting into trouble.
• Don't trust him, he's a sneaky sinner.
• Her addiction was the sinner that plagued her every decision.

noun A woman who is not married, especially one who is no longer young and seems unlikely ever to marry.

• The spinster lived alone in her quaint cottage on the edge of town.
• My aunt is a spinster but she doesn't mind being single.
• People used to call her the 'old maid' but she prefers the term spinster.
• In a world full of relationships, she was seen as a spinster of independence.

adjective having or showing a lack of thought or intelligence; mindless

• The vacuous statement made by the politician lacked substance and failed to address the issue at hand.
• She always makes vacuous comments without thinking about what she's saying.
• Stop being so vacuous and actually contribute something meaningful to the conversation.
• The empty room felt vacuous, as if it was missing something essential.

noun a person who engages in deep or intellectual thinking, often characterized by stroking their chin in contemplation

• The literary critic was known as a chinstroker for his deep analysis of classic novels.
• My professor is a bit of a chinstroker when it comes to discussing philosophy.
• I can't stand those chinstrokers who act like they know everything about art.
• The politician's speech was filled with empty promises and chinstrokers.

noun a French working-class woman, especially a seamstress or milliner

adjective of or relating to a French working-class woman

• The grisette was a type of young working-class woman in 18th and 19th century France.
• I saw a group of grisettes chatting and laughing at the cafe.
• She's a real cool grisette, always up for a good time.
• The city streets were filled with the hustle and bustle of the modern-day grisettes, young women on the go.

noun a person who travels to sell or distribute religious literature or tracts

• The colporteur traveled from town to town selling religious literature.
• The colporteur was a friendly guy who always had interesting books to sell.
• I heard that colporteur dude is making bank selling those books.
• As a colporteur of ideas, she spread knowledge wherever she went.

noun a person's name or a title given to someone

verb a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence

• The abbetdin was instrumental in organizing the charity event.
• I heard the abbetdin is throwing a party next weekend.
• Hey, did you see that abbetdin at the concert last night?
• Her laughter was like a melody, an abbetdin that filled the room with joy.

noun a person from the ancient Greek city of Abdera

• The abderite philosopher was known for his deep contemplation on the nature of reality.
• I heard that abderite guy is really into studying ancient civilizations.
• That abderite dude is always dropping knowledge about history.
• She has a mind like an abderite, always questioning and seeking the truth.

noun a wandering beggar or vagrant, especially one pretending to be insane

adjective describing someone or something related to a wandering beggar or vagrant, especially one pretending to be insane

• The abram-man was arrested for attempting to pickpocket unsuspecting pedestrians.
• I heard that abram-man got caught trying to steal from people on the street.
• That abram-man is always up to no good.
• The con artist was like an abram-man, always looking for his next victim.

noun a woman who commits adultery, typically with a married man

• The law in many countries still punishes the act of adultery, especially when committed by an adultress.
• I heard she was labeled as an adultress after the scandal broke out.
• She's known around town as the biggest adultress in the neighborhood.
• In literature, the character was portrayed as an adultress who faced the consequences of her actions.

noun a prince or nobleman in Anglo-Saxon England

• The aetheling was next in line for the throne.
• The aetheling is expected to inherit the kingdom.
• The aetheling is basically a royal baby.
• In the world of politics, everyone wants to be the aetheling.