Appearance and Character

Appearance

attractive, good-looking, beautiful, handsome, lovely, pretty, cute, nice;

a pretty girl; a beautiful woman; a handsome man; a good-looking man (woman, girl, boy);

plain, homely (=not good-looking; AmE), unattractive, ugly; an ugly fellow; a plain face;

a pretty (beautiful, ugly, intelligent, round, oval) face; regular features; delicate features;

well-dressed; nicely dressed; casually dressed; poorly dressed; elegant; fashionable;

neat, clean, tidy; untidy, dirty, filthy; a neat person; neat clothes.

Height

tall, very tall, quite tall; six feet tall; not very tall; short;

he is tall; he is taller than his mother; she isn't tall; she isn't as tall as he is;

average height; medium height; middle height;

he is average height; she is of medium height; she is of middle height.

Weight and Build

thin, quite thin, slim, slender; skinny, underweight; a thin girl; she is thin; she is slim;

plump, chubby, stout, overweight, obese, fat; a stout woman; he is overweight;

medium-build; heavily built; thickset; broad-shouldered; he is medium-build;

a slender young girl; a slim figure; a delicate figure; delicate constitution;

strong, muscular, athletic; weak, feeble.

Hair

dark, black, brown, chestnut, red, auburn; blond, light, fair; white, gray (grey);

a brunette, a brunet; a redhead; a blonde, a blond; a dark-haired man; corn-colored hair;

long, short; medium-length; shoulder-length; she has long dark-blond hair;

straight, curly, wavy; thick, thinning, bald; she has curly hair; he is bald;

shiny, smooth, neatly combed hair; soft, silken hair; lank hair; dull hair; oily hair; greasy hair;

tousled hair; disheveled hair; plaits, ponytail; beard, mustache (moustache).

Eyes

blue, gray (grey), green, brown, dark; she has blue eyes;

light-blue; dark-gray; grayish-blue; her eyes are dark brown;

big eyes; large eyes; bright eyes; expressive eyes; sharp eyes;

eyebrows, eyelashes; thick eyebrows; green eyes with dark lashes;

nearsighted, shortsighted (near-sighted, short-sighted); blind;

eyeglasses, glasses, spectacles, sunglasses; a pair of glasses; he wears glasses.

Age

young, middle-aged, elderly, old; grown-up, adult;

he is twenty years old; she is in her thirties; he is about forty;

a child; a kid; a little boy; a little girl; a five-year-old girl; she is five years old;

a teenager; a teenage boy; a teenage girl; a young boy; a young girl;

a young man; a young woman; a middle-aged man; an old man.

Character

Character, personality, nature

good (excellent, fine, strong, firm, weak, bad, terrible, evil) character;

traits of character; qualities; he has a terrible character; his character is very good;

a woman of great character; a man of character; he has no character at all;

pleasant (friendly, strong, weak, interesting, charismatic) personality;

she has a friendly personality; he has a lot of personality;

she is soft-hearted by nature; it is not in his nature to be rude.

Strong, honest, reliable, hardworking, active, etc.

strong, tough, hardy, mature, independent; weak, immature;

strong-minded, strong-willed, hard-headed, determined, resolute;

honest, sincere, truthful, decent, scrupulous; dishonest, insincere;

cunning, deceitful, crafty, sly, treacherous; unscrupulous;

dependable, reliable, trustworthy; faithful, loyal, devoted; true;

unreliable, untrustworthy; unfaithful, disloyal; irresponsible;

hardworking, diligent, conscientious; responsible; persevering; ambitious;

disciplined, organized, accurate, methodical, careful; thorough;

undisciplined, disorganized, inaccurate, careless; forgetful; shallow, superficial;

reasonable, sensible, rational, prudent, level-headed, practical;

just, fair, objective, impartial, unbiased; unjust, unfair; opinionated;

unreasonable, irrational; unpredictable; impractical; naive; superstitious;

active, energetic, vigorous, quick, fast; lazy, idle, slow, inert, passive, sluggish;

attentive, alert, perceptive, observant, insightful, shrewd; inattentive;

brave, bold, courageous, fearless; reckless; cautious; timid, cowardly.

Friendly, kind, polite, patient, humorous, selfish, etc.

good-natured, good-tempered, easygoing; bad-tempered; ill-natured; malevolent; mean;

friendly, amiable, amicable, sociable, outgoing; unfriendly, hostile, unsociable;

generous, noble; kind, kind-hearted, soft-hearted, unselfish; helpful; gentle;

firm, strict, stern, severe; cruel, harsh, hard-hearted; merciless, ruthless;

thoughtful, considerate; compassionate, sympathetic; tolerant; intolerant;

polite, civil, urbane, tactful; impolite, rude, tactless; well-mannered; bad-mannered;

haughty, arrogant, impudent; aggressive, pushy; stubborn, obstinate;

confident, self-confident; shy, diffident, timid, modest, humble; unassuming;

serious, calm, quiet, placid; patient; self-possessed; impatient; impulsive;

formal, official; informal, relaxed, casual, simple; sophisticated; unsophisticated;

humorous, amusing, funny, interesting; creative; inventive; dull, boring, uninteresting, tedious;

cheerful, happy, carefree; optimistic; moody, melancholic; gloomy, morose; pessimistic;

temperamental, emotional, nervous; self-conscious, sensitive, touchy;

selfish, egoistical, self-centered; inconsiderate; jealous, envious, possessive.

Other qualities

pretentious, self-important, vain, pompous; domineering, oppressive; unpretentious;

capricious, wayward, whimsical; mischievous; argumentative, irritable, quarrelsome;

critical, exacting, fault-finding; pedantic; docile, dutiful, obedient; disobedient;

talkative; glib; noisy; reserved, reticent; laconic; taciturn; silent; secretive;

economical, thrifty, frugal, tight, stingy, miserly, greedy; wasteful, prodigal, extravagant;

strange, odd, weird, eccentric, crazy; normal, ordinary, regular.

Mind

intelligent, wise, clever, smart; sharp, keen, bright, quick, agile;

broad-minded; open-minded; narrow-minded; small-minded; absent-minded;

a sharp mind; a quick mind; he is intelligent and broad-minded;

foolish, silly, stupid, dumb; dull, slow; crazy, insane, mad; he is foolish.

Related phrases and examples in sentences

What does she look like?

She is young and good-looking, with dark eyes and long red hair.

He is tall and thin, with brown hair. He is twenty-five years old.

She is average height, dark-haired, quite thin, and wears glasses. She's about fifty.

She is of medium height, with straight black hair and brown eyes.

He is old, short, medium-build, with gray hair and a beard.

She has dark eyes, wavy blond hair, and a nice figure. She looks great.

He is a handsome middle-aged man. She is a pretty young girl.

How do I look?

You look good. You look great. You look nice.

You look terrible. You look awful.

What is he like?

He is friendly and dependable. He is interesting and amusing.

He is smart and honest. He also has a good sense of humor. I like him.

She is careless and lazy. You can't depend on her.

She is serious, organized, hardworking, and tough.

He is old, sick, and lonely. She is a nice clever girl.

His character is terrible. He is hostile and bad-tempered. He doesn't have many friends.

She is knowledgeable and broad-minded, and she likes to help young people.

Who does he take after, his mother or his father?

He takes after his father in appearance, but he is like his mother in character.

He looks like his mother, but he takes after his father in character.

Like his father, he is tall and handsome.

She takes after her mother. She has the same chestnut hair and green eyes.

What does he like?

He likes ice cream and chocolate. She likes apples and oranges.

She likes modern music. He likes old movies and classical music.

She likes to read. He likes to play with his dog.

What are you interested in?

I'm interested in medicine. He is interested in politics. She is interested in history.

I'm interested in sports. I'm into computers. I'm a movie fan. I like rock music.

Weight and Height

Weight

1 pound (lb.) = 0.4536 kilograms (kg)

He weighs 170 pounds. (Read as "one hundred and seventy pounds" or "one hundred seventy pounds".)

He weighs 77 kilograms. (seventy-seven kilograms)

Her weight is 132 pounds. (one hundred thirty-two pounds)

Her weight is 59.9 kilograms. (Read as "fifty-nine point nine kilograms".)

Her weight is about 60 kilograms. (sixty kilograms)

Height

1 inch (in.) = 2.54 centimeters (cm)

1 foot (ft.) = 12 in. = 30.48 cm = 0.3048 m

He is six feet tall. He is 183 centimeters tall. (one hundred eighty-three centimeters)

She is five feet three inches tall. She is five foot three.

She is 160 centimeters tall. (one hundred sixty centimeters)

Her 12-year-old son is about 5 feet tall and weighs about 88 pounds. (eighty-eight pounds)

Her twelve-year-old son is about a hundred and fifty centimeters tall and weighs about forty kilograms.
Order of Descriptive Adjectives
Adjectives can be used one at a time, or several adjectives can be used for the same noun,
using commas to separate them. While people who were born into English-speaking families or
communities aren’t always aware of the rules involved, they can absolutely hear the difference if
multiple adjectives appear out of order, so it’s a good rule to know. This order is as follows:

 Demonstrative or quantitative adjectives

  Quality or opinion
 Size
 Age
 Shape
 Color
 Origin/Proper adjectives (adjectives based on names of people or locations)
 Material
 Purpose
So, for example, a sentence might read, “I have ten, good, big, young, round, red, Storybook, egg-
laying hens.” Any variation in order might take a moment to process for somebody who only
speaks English.

Compound Adjectives: Useful Rules & Examples

Compound adjectives are a unique and creative way to express complex ideas in a concise and
effective manner. Whether we want to describe a fast-paced action movie or a mouth-watering
chocolate cake, compound adjectives help us to convey specific qualities in a memorable way. In
this article, we will explore the concept of compound adjectives, their various types, and how to
use them effectively in writing and speech.
**Compound adjectives are a combination of two or more words that work together to modify a
noun or pronoun. They are commonly used in English to create more precise and descriptive
language. Compound adjectives can be made up of different parts of speech, including nouns,
adjectives, adverbs, and participles.

For example, the compound adjective “well-known” is made up of the adjective “well” and the
past participle “known.” When used to describe a noun, it provides more information about the
level of familiarity or recognition associated with that noun. Another example is the compound
adjective “fast-paced,” which is made up of the adjective “fast” and the noun “paced.” When used
to describe a noun, it provides information about the speed or tempo associated with that noun.

It is important to note that compound adjectives are usually hyphenated when they come before a
noun. This helps to clarify that the words are working together to modify the noun. For example,
“a fast-paced environment” or “a well-known celebrity.”

Compound adjectives can also be formed by combining two or more nouns, as in “fire truck” or
“coffee table.” These compound nouns can also be used as adjectives to modify other nouns, such
as “fire truck sirens” or “coffee table book.”

Types of Compound Adjectives

Compound adjectives can be created in various ways, and they are classified into three main
categories: Descriptive, Origin, and Compound Adjectives from Phrasal Verbs.

Descriptive Compound Adjectives

Descriptive compound adjectives are formed by combining two or more adjectives to describe a
noun. The adjectives can be linked by a hyphen or written separately. Some examples of
descriptive compound adjectives are:
  Fast-paced
 Well-known
 Old-fashioned
 Yellow-striped
Origin Compound Adjectives

Origin compound adjectives are formed by combining a noun with an adjective that describes its
origin. These adjectives are commonly used to describe food, drinks, and products. Some examples
of origin compound adjectives are:

 French-made
 Italian-style
 American-made
 Chinese-inspired
Compound Adjectives from Verbs

Compound adjectives from phrasal verbs are formed by combining a verb and a preposition with a
noun or an adjective. Some examples of compound adjectives from phrasal verbs are:

 Breakneck
 Cut-and-dried
 Run-of-the-mill
 Stand-alone
Formation of Compound Adjectives

Hyphenated Compound Adjectives

Hyphenated compound adjectives are formed by joining two or more words with a hyphen. The
hyphen helps to clarify the meaning of the compound adjective and avoids ambiguity. Here are
some examples of hyphenated compound adjectives:

 well-known
 fast-paced
 high-speed
 time-consuming
 light-hearted
Unhyphenated Compound Adjectives

Unhyphenated compound adjectives are formed by joining two or more words without a hyphen.
These compound adjectives are less common than hyphenated compound adjectives and can
sometimes be ambiguous. Here are some examples of unhyphenated compound adjectives:

 handmade
 everyday
 worldwide
 lifelong
 outspoken
It is important to note that some compound adjectives can be both hyphenated and unhyphenated,
depending on personal preference.
Compound Adjectives by Combination

Compound adjectives can be formed as follows:

Adjective + Past participle

 narrow-minded
He was too narrow-minded and prejudiced and bigoted.

 high-spirited
Sophie’s a high-spirited young girl.

 old-fashioned
An old-fashioned bell tinkled as he pushed open the door.

 short-haired
He was dancing with a short-haired woman.

 absent-minded
The actress was so absent-minded that she fluffed her lines.

 strong-willed
She’s very strong-willed and if she’s decided to leave school, nothing will stop her.

 quick-witted
He proved himself a quick-witted negotiator.

 kind-hearted
Everyone says he is a kind-hearted man.

Adverb + Past Participle

 well-behaved
He is an obedient and well-behaved child.

 well-educated
I come from a well-educated family.

 densely-populated
The Republic of Malta is a small and densely-populated island nation in southern Europe.

 widely-recognized
She’s a widely-recognized expert in technology.

 highly-respected
Our speaker tonight is a highly-respected scholar.

 brightly-lit
He walked into the brightly-lit kitchen, opened the fridge, took out a bottle of water.
Noun + Past Participle

 sun-baked
We strolled along the sun-baked streets of Naples.

 child-wanted
I wanted to buy my daughter the most child-wanted toy.

 middle-aged
I noticed two middle-aged passengers.

Noun + Present Participle

 English-speaking
United Kingdom is an English-speaking country.

 time-saving
We spend a fortune on the latest time-saving gadgets.

 record-breaking
The show had a record-breaking run in the London theatre.

 mouth-watering
The waitress came round with a tray of mouth-watering cream cakes.

 thought-provoking
The film had a thought-provoking message.

Adjective + Present Participle

 good-looking
He was tall and quite good-looking.

 long-lasting
The impact of divorce on children can be long-lasting.

 slow-moving
He was stuck in a line of slow-moving traffic.

 far-reaching
Our findings have far-reaching consequences for researchers.

Adverb + Present Participle

 never-ending
Writing a dictionary is a never-ending task.

 forward-thinking
Some forward-thinking politicians are proposing reforms to the educational system.
Noun + Adjective

 world-famous
His books are world-famous.

 ice-cold
I’d love an ice-cold beer.

 smoke-free
This is a smoke-free restaurant.

Adjective + Noun

 full-length
A full-length portrait of the Queen hung on the wall.

 last-minute
It was a last-minute decision.

Noun + Noun

 part-time
We have 20 part-time members of staff .

Adjective + Adjective

 fat-free
You can put it over frozen yogurt, fat-free ice cream, whatever you like.

What are some examples of noun+adjective compound words?

Compound adjectives are formed by combining two or more words to modify a noun or pronoun.
Noun+adjective compound words are formed by using a noun and an adjective. Some examples of
noun+adjective compound words are:

 Ice-cold water
 Timeless beauty
 Heartbreaking news
 Mouth-watering food
 Heavy-duty machinery
What is a hyphenated compound adjective?

A hyphenated compound adjective is a type of compound adjective that is formed by combining

two or more words that are separated by a hyphen. Hyphenated compound adjectives are used to
modify a noun and are often used to avoid confusion or ambiguity. For example, “well-known”
and “long-term” are hyphenated compound adjectives.

What are some types of compound adjectives?

 Compound adjectives can be made up of different parts of speech, including nouns, adjectives,
adverbs, and participles. Some types of compound adjectives include:

Adjective + noun: blue-eyed girl, high school student


Adverb + adjective: well-dressed man, fast-moving car

Noun + participle: time-saving technique, money-making scheme

What are some ways to describe a person using compound adjectives?

Compound adjectives can be used to describe a person in many ways, such as:

Kind-hearted

Quick-witted

Hard-working

Easy-going

Self-confident

What are some common compound adjectives used with numbers?

Compound adjectives can also be formed by combining a number and an adjective. Some common
compound adjectives used with numbers are:

 Two-year-old
 Five-star
 Ten-foot
 Twenty-five-cent
 Hundred-year-old
****Do you know the difference between bored and boring? Test what you know with
interactive exercises and read the explanation to help you.
 Look at these examples to see how adjectives ending in -ed and -ing are used.
 I was really bored in that presentation.
That was a really boring presentation.

Grammar explanation
Adjectives that end in -ed (e.g. bored, interested) and adjectives that end in -
ing (e.g. boring, interesting) are often confused.

annoyed annoying

bored boring
confused confusing

disappointed disappointing

excited exciting

frightened frightening

interested interesting

surprised surprising

tired tiring

worried worrying

-ed adjectives
Adjectives that end in -ed generally describe emotions – they tell us how people feel.
I was so bored in that lesson, I almost fell asleep.
He was surprised to see Helen after all those years.
She was really tired and went to bed early
.-ing adjectives
Adjectives that end in -ing generally describe the thing that causes the emotion – a boring
lesson makes you feel bored.
Have you seen that film? It's really frightening.
I could listen to her for hours. She's so interesting.
I can't sleep! That noise is really annoying!
Here are some adjectives that can have both an -ed and an -ing form.
Adjectives ending in ED and ING
English Grammar Notes

There are many adjectives that we have in English that end in -ED or -ING.
Yes, that's correct, they are not only endings that we use for verbs!

An adjective that ends in -ING is used to describe: the characteristic of a person, a thing or a situation.

An adjective that ends in -ED is used to describe: a feeling (or how a person feels) or an emotion. It is used to describe a
temporary thing. Since only people (and some animals) have feelings, -ed adjectives cannot be used to describe an object
or situation.

Compare the difference:

 My girlfriend is bored. - (My girlfriend feels bored)

 My girlfriend is boring. - (My girlfriend is a boring person)

You can use these adjectives to describe people or situations but be careful that you are using the correct adjective. For
example, there is a big difference in meaning between:

 I am confused. - (I don't understand something)

 I am confusing. - (I will cause you to be confused)

Note that the sentences below are to highlight the difference between the two types of adjectives. They are NOT common
to do or say because they sound repetitive.

 I was shocked by how shocking the accident was last night.

 They were frightened by the frightening roller-coaster ride!
 I am annoyed by how annoying that person in front of us is.
 Sally was confused by the confusing street signs in the city.

Example sentences of adjectives ending in -ED and -ING

 This grammar lesson is boring. I am bored reading all about these grammar rules.
 I am tired right now. My flight was tiring (because it was a twelve-hour flight).
 Public toilets are usually disgusting. I am disgusted by the smell in some of them.
 Your speech was very inspiring. I am now inspired to do wonderful things with my life.

Also see our article about the Pronunciation of words ending in -ED
List of Adjectives ending in -ED and -ING
There is quite a long list of adjectives ending in -ED and -ING in English, and most of them are based on a verb that can
be changed into an adjective by adding either -ED or -ING.

Some of the more common ones include:

 Alarmed - Alarming
 Aggravated - Aggravating
 Amused - Amusing
 Annoyed - Annoying
 Astonished - Astonishing
 Astounded - Astounding
 Bored - Boring
 Captivated - Captivating
 Challenged - Challenging
 Charmed - Charming
 Comforted - Comforting
 Confused - Confusing
 Convinced - Convincing
 Depressed - Depressing
 Disappointed - Disappointing
 Discouraged - Discouraging
 Disgusted - Disgusting
 Distressed - Distressing
 Disturbed - Disturbing
 Embarrassed - Embarrassing
 Encouraged - Encouraging
 Entertained - Entertaining
 Excited - Exciting
 Exhausted - Exhausting
 Fascinated - Fascinating
 Frightened - Frightening
 Frustrated - Frustrating
 Fulfilled - Fulfilling
 Gratified - Gratifying
 Inspired - Inspiring
 Insulted - Insulting
 Interested - Interesting
 Moved - Moving
 Overwhelmed - Overwhelming
 Perplexed - Perplexing
 Pleased - Pleasing
 Relaxed - Relaxing
 Relieved - Relieving
 Satisfied - Satisfying
 Shocked - Shocking
 Sickened - Sickening
 Soothed - Soothing
 Surprised - Surprising
 Tempted - Tempting
 Terrified - Terrifying
 Threatened - Threatening
 Thrilled - Thrilling
 Tired - Tiring
 Touched - Touching
 Troubled - Troubling
 Unsettled - Unsettling
 Worried - Worrying