Introductory text
When we speak of somebody's appearance, we mean his (her) figure, hands, feet, hair, face...
In describing the figure we often mention the build. A man or a woman may be: solidly (heavily) built (of solid (heavy) build), delicately built (of delicate build), well-made.
The figure may be: slender or stooping; thin (lean) or stout (fat, plump).
Plump is mostly used when speaking about a very young person or about a woman.
It is less derogatory to call a person stout than fat, as fat implies the idea of something unpleasant.
Thick in the meaning of «толстый» is used for objects and parts of the body, but not when speaking of the figure as a whole.
A person may be: tall, short or middle-sized (of medium, average height).
When speaking of the appearance one should not forget the bearing - which may be erect (upright) or stooping.
The hand - which is at the very end of the arm - may be: small large, plump, delicate, bony, thin, shapely.
We have five fingers on each hand. This is what we call them: the forefinger (index finger), the middle finger, the ring finger, the little finger and the thumb. At the ends of the fingers are the nails. The fingers may be: fat, thick, thin, tapering. The leg - the part of the body from the hip to the ankle may be: short, long, fine (shapely), slender. A person may be bow-legged.
The feet - which are at the very end of the legs - may be: small, large, flat, narrow, pretty. We have five toes on each foot.
The manner of walking is called the walk (gait). One's steps may be: light, heavy, firm. Old people often shuffle their feet, have a shuffling gait.
The upper and the lower limbs are attached to the trunk. The head and the neck are poised on the shoulders. The head is covered with hair. The hair may be: short, long, thin, thick, straight, curly, wavy, crisp.
As to the colour the hair may he: black, dark, red, chestnut, brown, auburn, fair (blond), golden, grey (silver), white.
According to the fashion women's hair may be: bobbed, shingled, plaited, waved, put up (done in a knot). One can wear one's hair long, short; some people have a fringe.
Women have their hair done in various (hair) styles at the hairdresser's. Men go there to have a shave and have their hair cut (have a haircut) and have their beards and moustaches trimmed. Some men lose their hair and go bald.
The face may be: square, oval, round, long. It may be thin (lean), plump, angled. The complexion, that is, the colour of the skin, especially that of the face, may be: dark, fair, olive, ruddy.
A person may have regular, small, large (massive) or delicate, clean-cut or finely-cut features.
The upper part of the face - the forehead - may be: large, broad or narrow, high or low.
The eyebrows may be: thin, thick, bushy, pencilled, arched, dark or fair (light). The eyes are protected by the eyelids (lids). When we are tired or sleepy, they feel heavy and droop. The eyelids are fringed with eyelashes (lashes), which may be: thin, thick, long, short) straight, curving, curly.
The eyes may be different colours: dark, black, hazel, brown, violet, blue, grey, green.
They may be: close-set, wide-set, deep-set, sunken or bulging. The cheeks may be: rosy, pink, red, ruddy, pale, plump. Old or sick people may have hollow cheeks. Children's cheeks are often chubby.
The cheekbones may be: high, prominent, wide-apart. The nose may be: straight, flat, hooked, aquiline; a person may be snub-nosed.
The parts of the mouth are: the lips - upper and lower, and the teeth.
The mouth may be: big (large), small, wide, narrow. The shape of the lips makes it well-cut, firm, thin.
The cheeks may be: rouged or painted, the lips painted, and the hair dyed.
The teeth may be: even, uneven, large, small, tiny, pearly. All the upper and lower teeth together are called a set of teeth.
The chin may be: round or protruding, small or large. Stout people often have a double chin.
When a woman's face and figure delight us, we say: she's beautiful (handsome, good-looking). We call her a real beauty and about her beauty. The words handsome, good-looking (but not beautiful) are also used of a man. The words attractive and pretty help us to describe a person pleasant to look at.
If there is nothing particular in one's appearance, we call it common.
To characterize somebody's appearance in a negative way we use the words: plain (Am. homely) or ugly.
When we ask for a description of a person we do not know we say: What does he (she) look like? or: What is he (she) like? If we are interested in person's character, we say: What is he (she) like?
If we ask after a person whom we know but have not seen for a long time, or since an illness, we say: How does he (she) look? A person may lose weight (reduce) or put on (gain) weight. If a person resembles somebody, we say: He looks like his father (mother) or: He takes after his father (mother) or: He is the very image of his father (mother).
We say that a person looks his age when he looks neither older nor younger than he is in reality, but if he looks younger or older we say, he looks young (old) for his age.
When a person looks younger than he is, we say that he is well preserved.
When a person takes great care of his appearance we sometimes find it said that he (she) is well-groomed. We may also speak of a groomed (well-groomed) face, hands.
DESCRIBING PEOPLE
Denise Robins