For instance, if you’re trying to describe a suspect to the police, you may have to say something like, “They looked like a man to me, but I can’t be certain. ” In other cases, you may be able to simply skip ahead to other descriptive elements.
You can stick to just describing the color of their skin, using terms like “olive,” “pale,” “dark brown,” and so on. Leave it to others to make assumptions if they wish.
For instance, identifying someone as looking 30-35 instead of 30-40 gives a clearer picture to others. This is especially important with younger people—a 10 year old looks very different from a 20 year old, after all!
If you’re able to give a more specific estimate of their actual height, try to do so in 2 inch or 5 centimeter increments—for instance, “she’s between 5’4” and 5’6”,” or, “he was 180-185 cm tall. ”
Describing a person’s size and/or weight can make you seem insensitive, so unless you must do it as accurately as possible (e. g. , describing a missing person), stick to describing their “build”—“thin build,” “average build,” etc. [6] X Research source Some descriptive terms can be more insensitive in some variations of a language than others. For instance, calling a woman “plump” is somewhat more polite in British English than American English, where it’s better to stick with “large” or perhaps “curvy. ” If you’re estimating a specific weight, try to do it within 20 pound or 10 kilogram increments if possible.
Describing a person’s size and/or weight can make you seem insensitive, so unless you must do it as accurately as possible (e. g. , describing a missing person), stick to describing their “build”—“thin build,” “average build,” etc. [6] X Research source Some descriptive terms can be more insensitive in some variations of a language than others. For instance, calling a woman “plump” is somewhat more polite in British English than American English, where it’s better to stick with “large” or perhaps “curvy. ” If you’re estimating a specific weight, try to do it within 20 pound or 10 kilogram increments if possible.
Call a person you find unattractive “ordinary” or “plain,” not “ugly. ” Use “scruffy” or “unkempt” instead of “messy. ” Use “attractive” to denote good-looking, instead of “beautiful,” “gorgeous,” or possibly even “handsome. ” “Flabby” isn’t ideal, but it may be the best way to describe someone who is the opposite of “fit,” “toned,” or “well-built. ”
Color: brown, black, blonde, sandy, red, gray Length: shaved, short, medium, long, shoulder-length, etc. Style: straight, curly, wavy, afro, ponytail, dreadlocks, bun, mohawk, etc. Appearance: messy, thinning, frizzy, glossy, clean, slicked, and so on.
Color: black, brown, grey, blue, green, hazel Shape: wide, narrow, bulging, deep set, squinting, etc. Eyebrows: color plus qualities like bushy, thin, connected, and so on Glasses: note the color, shape, material, thickness, and any tinting
If you’re filing a police report, you may want to mention if they have “rosy cheeks,” “bags under their eyes,” or a “double chin. ” Otherwise, be polite and skip these details!
Instead of saying, “he has a tattoo on his arm,” say, “he has a black and red, heart-shaped tattoo with “Mother” in cursive on his right biceps. ” If you’re going for a more general description, calling someone “tattooed” will probably get the point across that they have widespread body art. [12] X Research source
Some of these characteristics bridge the gap between physical appearance and personality traits, but they can help provide a fuller picture of the person you’re describing physically. [14] X Research source
In British English (more so than American English), calling someone “smart” indicates that they are well-dressed and well-groomed. [16] X Research source
Instead of writing, “she had long, red hair,” you might write, “her hair licked and lapped in the breeze like a crackling fire. ” Stating that a person “stood like a mighty oak” conveys quite a bit about their physical appearance and the way they carried themselves in only a few words.
Consider the difference, for instance, between describing “knife-blade slits for eyes” and “squinty eyes like Popeye’s first cousin. ”
For example: “he barreled through the crowd of people like a wave through a sand castle built at low tide. ” Or: “she worked her way through the crowd unnoticed, like water filtering through the cracks in a sidewalk. ”
The less vital a physical attribute is to a character, the less vital it is for you to mention it. If it doesn’t really matter if your character is tall or short, or has brown or black hair, leave it up to the reader to decide!
