DESCRIBING PEOPLE (PHYSICAL APPEARANCE)

AGE

Newborn, baby, toddler, child, infant, preschooler, octogenarian, little boy/girl, kid, adolescent, teenager, youngster,
teeny-bopper, adult, old ≠ young man/woman/person, middle-aged man/woman/person, elderly person, senior
citizen, she’s twenty-one years old, He’s in his teens, He’s about thirty, She’s in her early / mid/late thirties, She’s forty
something, He’s fiftyish, She’s sixty odd, He looks about thirty, at the age of twenty-one, at ten years of age, infancy,
childhood, adolescence, youth, adulthood, middle age, old age.

HEIGHT

(of)average / medium height, tall, short ,She’s above / below average height, He’s taller/shorter than average, She’s
petite, He’s tallish/shortish /dumpy/podgy.

BUILD( FIGURE/SHAPE)

Lean, thin, fat, obese, medium, overweight/chubby, slim, skinny, average build ,petite ,overweight, skinny ,He’s stocky
, well built, muscular, strong, weak, broad-shouldered, nice figure, athletic, well proportioned, curvaceous, She’s got
an hourglass/ a good figure, She’s rather plump, She’s as thin as a rake, anorexic, She’s absolutely gorgeous, He’s
extremely muscular/strong/well-built, I’m quite/fairly chubby.

HAIR

Healthy, shiny , fair, dark, blond, grey, going grey, auburn(red-brown) , ginger/red, (jet)black, natural blond, dyed
blond, white, light/medium/dark brown, dark-haired, fair-haired,, red-haired, She’s blonde/brunette, thin, fine, bushy,
frizzy, permed, curly, straight, wavy, shaggy, cropped, shaved, spiky, long, short, medium length, shoulder length,
crew-cut, a punk haircut, sideburns, going bald, He’s got a bald patch, He’s got a receding hairline/ his hair is
receding, She’s wearing her hair down/up(with a clip or an elastic band)/loose/in plaits/in a pony tail/ in a bun/ a knot/
bunches/slicked back, She’s got a fringe/a side parting / a centre parting/dreadlocks/ pigtails/ braids/ a buzz cut/ an
afro style, She’s got highlights, He’s got straight black hair.

FACE

SHAPE → oval, round, square, heart-shaped, thin, long, angular, narrow/ broad
EYES → black, green, dark-blue, brown, sky-blue, sea-green, grey, hazel-brown, big, narrow, almond-shaped, slit,
slanted
EYEBROWS → arched, bushy, thick, thin,pierced
EYELASHES → long, short, curly, thin, thick
NOSE→ big, small, flat/ snub/ pug, straight, pointed, Greek, hooked, crooked, turned-up, wide, button, long, short
MOUTH -TEETH→ wide, small, thin/full lips, WELL-DEFINED LIPS, bad breath, plaque, cavities, gum disease,
crooked teeth , pointy or flat, wide or narrow teeth, braces, broad smile
CHIN→ pointed, square, round, double, strong, jaw, beard, goatee
CHEEKS→ rosy / chubby, high (cheekbones)
SKIN COMPLEXION & FACIAL FEATURES → smooth , clear, lined, wrinkled, spotty, pimpled, freckled, sallow,
fresh, olive, pale, fair, dark,(sun) tanned, clean-shaven, He’s got a scar,/ a mole/ a dimple, He wears glasses/
earrings/ contact lenses/ a nose stud, He’s got a moustache, a beard, She’s got freckles/ a beauty spot/ a birthmark/
dark rings under her eyes, butterfly ears, high/low forehead
General appearance

She’s a very smart and elegant woman, always well-dressed; her husband is quite the opposite, very scruffy
and untidy-looking / messy-looking.
He’s very good-looking but his friend’s rather unattractive.
Do you think beautiful women are always attracted to handsome men? I don’t. I think personality matters most.
First impressions are always important.