Describing people: appearance and mannerisms

9

slender

thin in an attractive way

scrawny

unpleasantly thin or gaunt

lanky

tall and thin, often awkwardly so

gangling/gangly

tall with long thin arms and legs and rather awkward movements often used of men and boys

obese

having excessive body fat; overweight

stout

having a solid or plump build; often refers to being heavily built or overweight but in a sturdy way.

stocky

having a compact and sturdy build, often characterized by strong, thick-set physique.

bulked up

1increased in body size, especially by gaining more muscle

lean

thin and healthy

wiry

thin but strong

never a hair out of place

always well-dressed, neat and smart-looking

immaculate

in perfect condition, smart

swarthy

dark-coloured, used about skin

haggard

his face looked ill and tired

sallow

yellowish

unkempt

untidy, scruffy (the opposite would be smart or neat; ‘kempt’ does not exist)

grinning

giving a big smile]

pouting

[positioning their lips in an attractive way]

pouts for the rest of the day

. [positions her lips in a look of annoyance]

Grimace

. [make an expression of pain or strong dislike]

scowled at

gave a bad tempered angry look

leering

[looking in an unpleasant, sexually interested way]

shrugged his shoulders

[lifted his shoulders up and down to show he didn’t know or couldn’t answer]

folded his arms and crossed his legs

[crossed one arm over the other close to his body] [crossed one leg over the other while sitting]

twitching

. [suddenly making small movements]

bites her nails

clenched her fist

. [closed her hand tightly because of anger]

tapping/drumming his fingers

. [made quick, light hitting movements]