Have you ever been asked to use three words to describe yourself? Or have you ever found it hard to describe someone to your foreign friend? In this writing, Learn English Fun Way will introduce some English common words about people’s age, appearance, characteristics and actions. Let’s begin:
I. Vocabulary for AGE:
- Young: not yet old; not as old as others
She looks much younger than her 39 years. - Old: having lived for a long time; no longer young
He was beginning to look old - Middle-aged: neither young nor old
He is 40 years old. He is middle-aged - In someone’s twenties: between the ages of 20 and 29
She is 28 years old. She is in her twenties - Knee-high to a grasshopper: very small; very young
Look how tall you are! Last time I saw you, you were knee-high to a grasshopper! - Long in the tooth: old or too old
She’s a bit long in the tooth for a cabaret dancer, isn’t she? - Mutton dressed as lamb: describe a woman who is trying to look younger than she really is, especially by wearing clothes that are designed for young people
The style doesn’t suit her – it has a mutton-dressed-as-lamb effect on her! - No spring chicken: to be no longer young
How old is the owner? I don’t know but she’s no spring chicken! - Over the hill: old and therefore no longer useful or attractive
Oh, grandma! You say you’re over the hill, but actually you’re still a super cook! - (Live to a) ripe old age: an age that is considered to be very old
If you lead a healthy life you’ll live to a ripe old age.” said the doctor.
II. Vocabulary for APPEARANCE:
- Thin: not covered with much fat or muscle
He was tall and thin, with dark hair. - Slim/ Slender: thin, in a way that is attractive
How do you manage to stay so slim? - Skinny: very thin, especially in a way that you find unpleasant or ugly
He was such a skinny kid. - Well-built: with a solid, strong body
He is a tall, well-built young man - Muscular: having large strong muscles
He has a muscular body - Fat: having too much flesh on it and weighing too much
You’ll get fat if you eat so much chocolate. - Overweight: too heavy, in a way that may be unhealthy
You don’t look overweight. - obese: very fat, in a way that is not healthy
She is grossly obese. - Stocky: short, with a strong, solid body
He has a stocky figure - Stout: rather fat
You are becoming stout - Fit: healthy and strong, especially because you do regular physical exercise
She tries to keep fit by jogging every day. - Frail: physically weak and thin
Mother was becoming too frail to live alone. - Plump: having a soft, round body; slightly fat
That dress makes you look rather plump. - Tall: having a greater than average height
He’s grown taller since I last saw him. - Short: small in height
He was a short, fat little man. - Of medium/ average height: neither short nor tall
I am of medium height
III. Vocabulary for SKIN:
- Pale: skin that is very light in color; having skin that has less color than usual because of illness, a strong emotion, etc.
Her face had grown deathly pale. - Rosy: pink and pleasant
She had rosy cheeks. - Sallow: having a slightly yellow color that does not look healthy
He was a small man with a thin sallow face. - Dark: brown or black in color
Even if you have dark skin, you still need protection from the sun. - Pasty: pale and not looking healthy
Their pasty faces were the result of long periods underground. - Greasy skin: Skin covered in a lot of grease or oil
IV. Vocabulary for VOICE:
- Stutter: to have difficulty speaking because you cannot stop yourself from repeating the first sound of some words several times
‘W-w-what?’ he stuttered. - Deep (voice): voice that has low sounds
I heard his deep warm voice filling the room.
We heard a deep roar in the distance. - High (voice): at the upper end of the range of sounds that humans can hear; not deep or low
She has a high voice. - Squeaky (voice): making a short, high sound
Her voice is squeaky.
V. Vocabulary for PERSONALITY:
- Adaptable: capable of fitting a particular situation or use
When Connie’s parents divorced, she proved herself to be adaptable. It wasn’t easy, but she learned how to cope with this big change. - Adventurous: willing to take risks and try new ideas; enjoying being in new, exciting situations
For the more adventurous tourists, there are trips into the mountains with a local guide. - Affectionate: showing caring feelings and love for somebody
He is very affectionate towards his children. - Ambitious: having a strong desire for success or achievement
He is a fiercely ambitious young manager - Compassionate: showing or having sympathy for another’s suffering
Politicians are not usually regarded as warm or compassionate people. - Courageous: able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching
I hope people will be courageous enough to speak out against this injustice. - Courteous: characterized by politeness and gracious good manners
The hotel staff are friendly and courteous. - Diligent : showing care and effort in your work or duties
He is a diligent student/worker - Generous: giving or willing to give freely; given freely
They were very generous in giving help - Frank: honest and direct in what you say, sometimes in a way that other people might not like
He was very frank about his relationship with the actress. - Impartial: not supporting one person or group more than another
As chairman, I must remain impartial. - Intuitive: able to understand something by using feelings rather than by considering the facts
I don’t think that women are necessarily more intuitive than men. - Reliable: that can be trusted to do something well; that you can rely on
He was a very reliable and honest man who would never betray anyone. - Sensible: able to make good judgements based on reason and experience rather than emotion; practical
She’s a sensible sort of person. - Sympathetic: kind to somebody who is hurt or sad; showing that you understand and care about their problems
She was very sympathetic when I was sick.
Above is the vocabulary list for describing people. The list has many useful words as well as their definitions and the part of speech where it is used. Hope you can use the words well in your daily communication. Thank you for reading and see you in the next writing!
