General appearance
Mind that the correct word choice is important for precise description.
Beautiful is a much stronger word to describe a person’s appearance than pretty, handsome, good-looking, or attractive. It means “extremely attractive in a way that is quite rare”.
the most beautiful actress in Hollywood.
Beautiful and pretty can be used of women, children and things, but not usually of men:
a beautiful girl/ house
a pretty child/picture.
Pretty as a picture means very pretty.
Handsome is usually used of men, but a handsome woman is good-looking in a strong, healthy way. Good-looking can be used of men and women, but not usually of things. Attractive can be used of men, women, and things:
an attractive young man
an attractive pattern.
Lovely means “beautiful, attractive, especially to both the heart and the eyes”. It is not usually used to describe the physical appearance of men.
You look lovely in blue!
Cute(informal) is used about babies and children, but can also be used about young men and women, especially in American English:
Her kids are really cute!
Ugly is the most negative word to describe someone; plain is more polite.
Mrs. Cookson was a rather plain woman.
Ugly duckling is someone who is less attractive, skilful than other people when they are young, but who becomes beautiful and successful later.
HEIGHT AND BUILD
Thin is a general word to describe people who have little or no fat on their bodies. If someone is thin in a pleasant way, we say they are slim or (less common) slender:
I wish I were as slim/slender as you.
We could also say lean (thin in a strong and healthy way):
a lean muscular body
If they are too thin they are skinny (infml.), underweight, or (worst of all) emaciated:
He looks very thin/skinny/underweight after his illness.
The prisoners were emaciated.
Do you borrow David’s shirts? – I can’t. He is skinnier than me.
If you want to be polite about someone do not say that they are fat. (Rather) overweight is a more polite way of saying the same thing. Plump is more often used of women and children and means “slightly (and pleasantly) fat”. Chubby (used of babies and children) also means “pleasantly fat”. Stout means “rather fat or heavy” and tubby means “short and rather fat, especially in the stomach”. If someone is extremely fat and unhealthy they are said to be obese.
a short stout man
Sally is ten kilos overweight.
A nurse was a cheerful plump woman.
If someone is broad and solid, we can say they are stocky. A person with good muscles can be well-built or muscular.
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CULTURAL NOTE
In the US and the UK it is generally thought to be unattractive to be fat, and many people, especially women, often go on diets in order to try to lose weight. Some people believe they experience discrimination (unfair treatment, especially at work) because they are fat. |
Vocabulary check
Exercise 5. Choose the correct adjective to complete each sentence. (in some sentences more than one variant is possible)
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I was … even as a baby.
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You must admit I’ve never found him particularly … .
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She was even more … than I had remembered.
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An all-American type is …, blonde and vivacious.
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Jenny’s such a … little girl.
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Susan’s certainly a … girl, but I wouldn't call her … .
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Maria looks much … with her hair cut short.
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Larry was tall and … with dark brown hair.
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I wish my legs were … .
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… And then he saw Jannet, with a … build and long … legs.
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He looks … as a rake.
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The doctor says I’m a little … since my illness.
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Carry’s brother is really … and athletic-looking.
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You’ll get … if you eat all that chocolate.
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That big … opera singer – what’s his name?
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She’s gotten pretty … since you last saw her.
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She liked men who were … and … .
Where do you belong below?
he’s a giant (of a man)
she is an Amazon
extremely tall
tallish
above average height
medium build
he’s/she’s got good figure
he’s/she’s well-built
stocky petite
plump thin
corpulent skinny*
built like a barrel* like a pipe cleaner*
he’s as square/big/round as he’s tall there’s nothing of her
obese* like a lamp post*
overweight puny-looking*
squat slight and slender
muscular slim
below average height
on the short side
short
tiny
a midget
knee-high to a grasshopper/an ant
*The phrase marked with a star is usually used about a person who isn’t there. It might be considered offensive if overheard by the person described or their family and friends.
Compose a sentence to describe yourself, like “I’m above average height but still slight and slender”.
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Which of the above adjectives and phrases would suit a student in your class or a member of your family?
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What sort of build should gymnasts, footballers and weight-lifters have?
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What word in each pair of words would you prefer people to use about you? Why?
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skinny/slim e. plump/stocky
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well-built/corpulent f. short/below average height
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overweight/obese g. a midget/knee high to an ant
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all skin and bones/there’s more fat on a chip
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