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Adjectives for Describing Appearance - Vocabulary & Grammar

A list of English adjectives that are used for describing people's height and body shape

attractive - a person who is good looking. (male or female)

Example sentence: Demi Moore is a very attractive woman.

bald - a person who has no hair. Some bald people shave their heads.

Example sentences:The male actor Bruce Willis is bald. He has a shaved head.

beautiful - a person who is extremely good looking (mainly used to describe women).

Example sentence: The American singer Beyonce is very beautiful.

blonde - a person who has yellow hair.

Example sentence: The American celebrity Paris Hilton has blonde hair.

chubby - a polite way of describing someone who is a bit overweight.

Example sentence: Russell Crowe is looking a bit chubby lately, isn't he?

curvy - a woman with a large bust, broad hips and a small waist.

Example sentence: Katie Price is very curvy.

fat - a very negative way to describe someone who is overweight (very rude and a bit insulting!).

Example sentence: Kirstie Alley starred in the American sitcom "Fat Actress".

fit - (1) someone who gets a lot of exercise and is very healthy. (2) A very attractive person.

Example sentences:(1) David Beckham is physically fit. (2) David Beckham is fit!

flabby - Used to describe someone who does not get much exercise, with poor muscle tone.

Example sentence: I was looking a bit flabby, so I've joined a gym.

gorgeous - very attractive (used to describe men and women).

Example sentence: I think Johnny Depp is gorgeous!

handsome - a man who is extremely good looking.

Example sentence: Brad Pitt is very handsome.

large - someone who is overweight (neutral).

Example sentence: Fashionable clothes for large women can be hard to find.

muscular - someone who is very toned and has well defined muscles.

Example sentence: Madonna is quite muscular for a woman. Her arms are very toned.

obese - used to describe someone who is very fat (impolite).

Example sentence: Being obese is bad for your health.

ordinary - somebody who is very plain; not beautiful.

Example sentence: Susan Boyle looks very ordinary, but she has an amazing voice.

plain - somebody who is very ordinary-looking.

Example sentence: Some models look very plain when they take off their make-up.

plump - a tactful way of describing someone who is overweight (mainly British English).

Example sentence: The plump British actress Dawn French is a brunette.

presentable - another way of saying someone looks smart.

Example sentence: If you want to get ahead in your job, you need to look presentable.

redhead - a person with orange hair.

Example sentence: Nicole Kidman is a redhead.

scruffy - used to describe someone whose appearance is very untidy.

Example sentence: Pete Docherty is very scruffy.

shapely - a curvy woman with a small waist.

Example sentence: Kylie Minogue is very shapely.

short - used to describe someone who isn't very tall.

Example sentence: American actor Tom Cruise is fairly short.

skinny - used to describe someone who is very thin (impolite).

Example sentence: Many fashion models are way too skinny.

slender - used to describe a thin person who looks healthy.

Example sentence: Actress Julia Roberts is very slender.

smart - used to describe someone who takes a lot of care over their appearance.

Example sentence: It is important to look smart if you want to make a good impression.

stocky - someone who is broad and not very tall. Mainly used to describe men.

Example sentence: Simon Cowell is quite short, with dark hair and a stocky build.

tall - used to describe someone who is above average height.

Example sentence: American actor Ashton Kucher is very tall.

tattooed - used to describe someone who has tattoos.

Example sentence: Amy Winehouse has a lot of tattoos.

thin - used to describe someone who weighs less than the average person (impolite!).

Example sentence: Victoria Beckham is very thin.

unkempt - used to describe someone who looks scruffy and does not take care of their appearance.

Example sentence: Amy Winehouse sometimes looks unkempt in photographs.

well-built - someone whose body shape or size is bigger than the average person.

Example sentence: Arnold Schwarzenegger is well-built.

Important note: be careful using negative adjectives when commenting on a person's appearance, as some people may be very offended by them! In most situations it is safer to use a neutral or positive adjective (for example slender instead of thin, large instead of fat).