Describing people: Looks, personality, and more

 Master the vocabulary to talk about appearance and character — with practical examples and memory tips!

🔍 Why This Lesson Matters

Describing people is one of the most useful skills in everyday English. Whether you're introducing a friend, describing someone in a story, or chatting online, you’ll need the right vocabulary for:

• Physical appearance (height, build, hair, eyes, etc.)

• Personality traits (kind, shy, outgoing, etc.)

• Additional traits (age, style, behavior, etc.)

Let’s break it down into simple categories, with examples and tips to help you remember the words long-term.

🧍‍♂️ Part 1: Describing Physical Appearance

🟩 1. Height and Build

Word/Phrase	Meaning	Example Sentence
tall	having a lot of height	My brother is really tall — over 6 feet!
short	not tall	She's a bit short, but very confident.
average height	not tall or short	He's of average height and slim.
slim	thin in an attractive way	She's slim and graceful.
overweight	heavier than is healthy	He used to be overweight, but now he jogs.
muscular	strong and well-built	The trainer is muscular and fit.

The trainer is muscular and fit.

🧠 Memory Tip:

Imagine drawing people with different heights and builds — picture a tall basketball player, a short child, and a muscular superhero. Visualization helps cement the word in your brain.

🟩 2. Hair and Eye Color

Word/Phrase	Meaning	Example Sentence
blonde	light yellow hair	She has long blonde hair.
brunette	dark brown or black hair	He's attracted to brunettes.
curly	hair with tight waves or rings	Her curly hair is hard to brush.
straight	no curls or waves	He has straight black hair.
green eyes	eyes that are green in color	Her green eyes are stunning.
hazel eyes	a mix of green and brown	My sister has hazel eyes.

🧠 Memory Tip:
Match celebrities or characters you know to these traits. For example, “Emma Watson has brown eyes and straight brown hair.”

🟩 3. Age and General Looks

Word/Phrase	Meaning	Example Sentence
middle-aged	around 45–65 years old	The middle-aged man looked tired.
elderly	old	An elderly woman smiled at me.
good-looking	attractive	He's a good-looking actor.
plain	not ugly, not beautiful	She's quite plain, but very nice.
attractive	pleasing to look at	People say she’s attractive and smart.

🧠 Memory Tip:
Group opposites together: young – elderly, attractive – plain. Opposites are easier to memorize in pairs.

💬 Part 2: Describing Personality

🟦 1. Positive Traits

Word/Phrase	Meaning	Example Sentence
friendly	kind and pleasant	Everyone likes her because she’s friendly.
generous	giving to others	He’s generous with his time and money.
hardworking	does a lot of work	She’s very hardworking and focused.
confident	sure of oneself	He speaks in a confident voice.
honest	tells the truth	She’s honest, even when it’s hard.

🧠 Memory Tip:
Create a character in your mind with these traits — maybe your ideal friend or role model.

🟦 2. Negative Traits

Word/Phrase	Meaning	Example Sentence
lazy	doesn’t like to work	He’s smart but very lazy.
rude	impolite	The waiter was rude to us.
selfish	only cares about themselves	Don’t be selfish, share with your sister!
shy	uncomfortable with others	She’s too shy to speak in class.
moody	changes moods easily	He's moody in the mornings.

🧠 Memory Tip:

Think of a situation where someone acted this way — real or fictional. It makes the words more relatable and stick in your mind.

🎭 Part 3: More Useful Words to Describe People

🟨 Style & Clothing

• Well-dressed – She’s always well-dressed at work.

• Casual – He wears casual clothes like jeans and t-shirts.

• Trendy – Her style is very trendy and modern.

🟨 Behavior

• Polite – He’s always polite to strangers.

• Talkative – She’s very talkative and fun at parties.

• Quiet – He’s quiet but really smart.

🧠 Memory Tip:
Make a habit of describing people around you (silently or in writing). For example, describe your teacher, a friend, or someone on a TV show using 3–4 of these words.

📝 Quick Practice Activity

Fill in the blanks with the right word:

1. My best friend is very ___ — she always gives people gifts.

2. He has short ___ hair and blue eyes.

3. Don’t be so ___! Let others speak too.

4. She's not tall or short — she's ___ height.

5. That actor is really ___ and charming!

Answers:

1. generous

2. curly

3. talkative

4. average

5. good-looking

🔁 How to Remember Vocabulary Long-Term

Here are some proven ways to make vocabulary stick:

• ✅ Use the new words in your daily English practice
  (Write a short paragraph about someone you know!)

• ✅ Group words by topic and opposites
  (e.g., lazy vs. hardworking, shy vs. outgoing)

• ✅ Make flashcards with pictures or example sentences

• ✅ Repeat, reuse, and review regularly
  (Even 5 minutes a day helps!)

✅ Wrap-Up: What You Learned Today

Now you can confidently describe people in English using:

• Words for appearance: height, build, hair, eyes, age

• Words for personality: both positive and negative traits

• Words for style and behavior: clothing and habits

Use this vocabulary to make your conversations and writing more vivid, natural, and clear!