Describing People – Appearance

In this lesson, we will explore how to describe a person’s appearance. Describing people includes talking about their hair, face, body, and overall appearance. Understanding these terms and their connotations—whether they are positive, neutral, negative, or medical—can help you speak English politely and clearly.

Key Vocabulary and Phrases

1. Hair:
   • Straight hair: Hair that is smooth and has no curls.
     Example: “She’s got straight hair.”
   • Curly hair: Hair that forms tight curls.
     Example: “She’s got curly hair and is dark-skinned.”
   • Auburn hair: A red-brown hair color.
     Example: “She has such beautiful auburn hair.”
   • Blonde, Fair, Dark, or Ginger-haired / Red-haired: These are common terms to describe hair color.
     Example: “What sort of person would you find attractive? Blonde, fair, dark, or ginger-haired?”
2. Facial Features:
   • Thin-faced: Someone who has a thin face.
     Connotation: Neutral
     Example: “She’s got a thin face.”
   • Chubby face: A rounded, fuller face.
     Connotation: Neutral
     Example: “He’s got a beard and moustache and has a chubby face.”
   • Freckles: Small, light-brown spots on the skin, usually on the face.
     Connotation: Neutral
     Example: “He’s bald and has freckles.”
   • Receding hair: Hair that is thinning and moving away from the forehead.
     Connotation: Negative
     Example: “He’s got receding hair and a few wrinkles.”
   • Wrinkles: Lines that form on the skin as you age.
     Connotation: Neutral
     Example: “He’s got a few wrinkles.”
3. Body and Build:
   • Plump or Stout: A polite way to describe someone who is a little overweight.
     Connotation: Neutral
     Example: “He’s a rather plump or stout man.”
   • Fat: A blunt way to describe someone who is overweight, often considered rude.
     Connotation: Negative
     Example: “She is fat.”
   • Tubby: Another term for overweight, often seen as rude or negative.
     Connotation: Negative
     Example: “She is tubby.”
   • Overweight: A formal term to describe someone who is heavier than the healthy average.
     Connotation: Negative
     Example: “She is overweight.”
   • Underweight: Describes someone who is lighter than the healthy average.
     Connotation: Negative
     Example: “She is underweight.”
   • Stocky: Describes someone who is broad and solid.
     Connotation: Neutral
     Example: “He’s stocky and well-built.”
   • Muscular: Describes someone with strong, defined muscles.
     Connotation: Positive
     Example: “He’s well-built and muscular.”
   • Skinny: A negative way to describe someone who is very thin.
     Connotation: Negative
     Example: “She is skinny.”
   • Thin: A neutral or slightly negative term to describe someone with little body fat.
     Connotation: Negative
     Example: “She is thin.”
   • Slim: A positive term to describe someone who is thin but healthy.
     Connotation: Positive
     Example: “She is slim.”
   • Slender: A positive way to describe someone who is attractively thin.
     Connotation: Positive
     Example: “She is slender.”
   • Anorexic: A medical term for someone who is dangerously thin and refuses to eat.
     Connotation: Medical
     Example: “She is anorexic.”
4. General Appearance:
   • Smart and Elegant: Well-dressed and stylish.
     Connotation: Positive
     Example: “She’s a very smart and elegant woman, always well-dressed.”
   • Scruffy or Untidy-looking: Describes someone who looks messy or unkempt.
     Connotation: Negative
     Example: “Her husband is quite the opposite, very scruffy and untidy-looking.”
   • Good-looking / Unattractive: General terms to describe whether someone is pleasing to look at or not.
     Connotation: Neutral / Negative
     Example: “He’s very good-looking, but his friend’s rather unattractive.”
5. Personality vs. Appearance:
   • First Impressions: The immediate reaction you have when you meet someone for the first time.
     Connotation: Neutral
     Example: “First impressions are always important.”
   • Personality Matters Most: While appearance is the first thing people notice, personality often becomes more important.
     Connotation: Positive
     Example: “Do you think beautiful women are always attracted to handsome men? I don’t. I think personality matters most.”

Cultural Notes

• Politeness: Describing someone as fat or tubby is often considered rude in many cultures. It’s better to use softer terms like plump or overweight.
• Attraction: While physical appearance makes a strong first impression, many English speakers value personality over looks in long-term relationships.

Example Sentences

• “He’s bald and has freckles.”
• “She’s got curly hair and is dark-skinned.”
• “He used to have black hair, but now it’s gone grey, almost white.”
• “She’s a very smart and elegant woman, while her husband is very scruffy and untidy-looking.”

Exercise

Summary

In this lesson, we learned how to describe people’s appearance in English, focusing on their hair, face, and body shape. Understanding the connotations of certain words is important to ensure you use them correctly in conversation. You can practice by using these new words to describe yourself, your friends, or people you see.