How to Describe a Person's Physical Appearance

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Describing someone’s physical appearance sounds easy, until you actually try to do it. Whether you want to describe someone you just met to a friend or alert the police about a crime suspect, it’s important to cover key physical details and unique characteristics systematically. If you’re trying to flesh out a character in the story you’re writing, however, it’s equally important to leave details to the imagination as it is to provide them directly to the reader.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Key Characteristics

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  1. In many cases this will be immediately obvious, and will likely be the first thing you’ll take note of. However, not everyone conforms to these categories, and it’s typically best not to make assumptions unless necessary. [1]
    • 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.
  2. Here again, there’s a difference between describing someone for the police and doing so for other reasons. In the first case, you may need to make assumptions—like, “he looked Irish” or, “she was Korean, I think”—that may be insensitive or offensive in other cases. [2]
    • 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.
    • With the exception of "olive" and "peach", you shouldn't compare someone's skin color to food. This is commonly used to objectify people of color.
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  3. In many cases, you’ll be able to pick someone out as “around 25” or “probably 60.” Consider providing an age range that is as narrow as you are comfortable giving—this will make it easier for others to visualize the person you’re describing. [3]
    • 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!
  4. If you only get a quick glimpse of someone, the best you’ll probably be able to do is put them in a general height category like “very tall, “tall,” “average,” “short,” or “very short.” These vague terms become slightly more useful when the person can be categorized as male or female, or as a child. [4]
    • 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.”
  5. ” It’s usually much more difficult to estimate weight accurately than it is to estimate someone’s height. Therefore, stick to giving fairly vague categorizations of a person’s overall “build”—saying things like, “she was very thin” or, “he has a very large build.”
    • 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. [5]
    • 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.
  6. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, after all, so your idea of a “gorgeous” person might not line up with someone else’s. Give your opinion, but do with tact—for instance: [6]
    • 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.”
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Facial Features and Unique Details

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  1. Use general terms that are fairly easy for most people to visualize. For example:
    • 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.
  2. As with hair characteristics, stick to simple terms that most people can picture in their head. For instance:
    • 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
  3. For ears, “large,” “average,” or “small” will usually do, while for lips, “thin,” “average,” and “plump” will probably work. A person’s nose might be “short,” “long,” “wide,” “thin,” “pointy,” “rounded,” “hooked,” “bent,” and so on. Their face overall might be described as “long,” “round,” or “flat.”
    • 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!
  4. These are especially important if you are describing someone to the authorities—for instance a missing person or a crime suspect. Check for permanent features like these and describe them in detail.
    • 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. [7]
  5. Do they have a “slouchy” posture or a “hunchback?” Do they tilt their head to one side, or blink a lot while they talk? Do they bounce their knee up and down incessantly while seated? Small details like these can make it easier to visualize the person you’re describing.
    • 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. [8]
  6. If you’re describing someone to the authorities, try to be as detailed as possible about every item of clothing the person has on—pants, shirt, jacket, shoes, hat, etc. For a more general description of a person, indicate their overall style or fashion sense.
    • In British English (more so than American English), calling someone “smart” indicates that they are well-dressed and well-groomed. [9]
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Creative Descriptions

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  1. Rely on language that evokes the person’s physical appearance as much as you do on strictly descriptive phrases. This is the creative part of creative writing! [10]
    • 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.
  2. If, for instance, you’re writing in a humorous tone, utilize humorous language to describe the person. If, however, the scene is tense and dramatic, skip the silly metaphors in your descriptions. [11]
    • Consider the difference, for instance, between describing “knife-blade slits for eyes” and “squinty eyes like Popeye’s first cousin.”
  3. By using the things that a character does to infer details about their appearance, you can cut back on direct descriptions. Combine this with figurative language to help a reader visualize the individual. [12]
    • 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.”
  4. Don’t feel the need to describe characters to the smallest detail! Create a loose outline of some key physical characteristics, and let the reader fill in the blanks with their own imagination. [13]
    • 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!
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    How can I get better at character descriptions?
    Lydia Stevens
    Author & Developmental Editor
    Lydia Stevens is the author of the Hellfire Series and the Ginger Davenport Escapades. She is a Developmental Editor and Writing Coach through her company "Creative Content Critiquing and Consulting." She also co-hosts a writing podcast on the craft of writing called "The REDink Writers." With over ten years of experience, she specializes in writing fantasy fiction, paranormal fiction, memoirs, and inspirational novels. Lydia holds a BA and MA in Creative Writing and English from Southern New Hampshire University.
    Lydia Stevens
    Author & Developmental Editor
    Expert Answer
    Practice people watching. Watch people in a public place or on TV. Take the time to understand their mannerisms. Observe their looking, interactions, manners, and habits. All these little elements are very helpful for creating great character descriptions.
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  • Question
    How to write describing of a person?
    CMOsborne
    Community Answer
    If you're doing creative writing, use figurative language alongside straight descriptive terms. If you're writing something like a police report, be as factual and detailed as possible.
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  • Question
    How do I describe characters in my book?
    CMOsborne
    Community Answer
    Provide only as much detail about their physical appearance as you feel is necessary to define them as a character. Leave the rest up to the reader's imagination!
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      Tips

      • Be subtle about looking at a person, because staring is rude, and a long up-and-down could start a fight—especially if there's a significant other who's as observant as you! [14]
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      • Be consistent with the order in which you notice features, and you will remember them more easily.
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      • Try to notice the person's most outstanding quality. Take a step back and acknowledge the first thing you noticed about them: this may be brightly colored hair, a particular height, or something they wore that you found odd.
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      Expert Interview

      Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about describing people, check out our in-depth interview with Lydia Stevens .

      References

      1. ↑ https://home.chicagopolice.org/about/contact-us/how-to-describe-a-suspect/
      2. ↑ https://home.chicagopolice.org/about/contact-us/how-to-describe-a-suspect/
      3. ↑ https://home.chicagopolice.org/about/contact-us/how-to-describe-a-suspect/
      4. ↑ https://home.chicagopolice.org/about/contact-us/how-to-describe-a-suspect/
      5. ↑ https://www.esolcourses.com/content/exercises/grammar/adjectives/appearance/vocab1.html
      6. ↑ https://www.esolcourses.com/content/exercises/grammar/adjectives/appearance/vocab1.html
      7. ↑ https://www.esolcourses.com/content/exercises/grammar/adjectives/appearance/vocab1.html
      8. ↑ https://englishpost.org/describe-physical-appearance/
      9. ↑ https://www.esolcourses.com/content/exercises/grammar/adjectives/appearance/vocab1.html
      1. ↑ https://www.carvezine.com/from-the-editor/10-tips-for-writing-physical-descriptions-of-your-characters.html
      2. ↑ https://www.carvezine.com/from-the-editor/10-tips-for-writing-physical-descriptions-of-your-characters.html
      3. ↑ https://www.carvezine.com/from-the-editor/10-tips-for-writing-physical-descriptions-of-your-characters.html
      4. ↑ https://www.carvezine.com/from-the-editor/10-tips-for-writing-physical-descriptions-of-your-characters.html
      5. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-truth-about-exercise-addiction/201706/what-really-happens-when-someone-stares-you

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To describe a person's physical appearance, start with general information like hair color and length, approximate height and weight, gender, and age range. Then, get more specific by describing features like the eyes, nose, and mouth, and don't forget to include distinctive characteristics like visible tattoos. If you can remember anything very specific about their clothing, shoes, or movements, include those descriptions, too! For tips on being as tactful as possible with your descriptions, read on!

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