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Complete Glossary to Describe Character Appearances

Updated: Jul 2

When crafting compelling characters in writing, one of the most essential elements is the vivid descriptions of their appearances. Describing a character’s physical traits not only paints a picture for readers but also infuses life into your narrative. It adds depth and dimension to the story. This is why whether you're an aspiring writer or a seasoned novelist, having a rich vocabulary to draw from can transform your descriptions from mundane to memorable. So, I have compiled a complete glossary of words for your character appearances. From the subtle nuances of different lips to the striking impressions of facial features, these words will help you create characters that leap off the page and resonate with your readers. Dive in and discover the perfect words to bring your characters to life!

 

Hair

  1. Afro

  2. Auburn

  3. Back-Length

  4. Bald

  5. Black

  6. Blonde

  7. Box Braids

  8. Braids

  9. Brown

  10. Buzz Cut

  11. Chopped

  12. Cornrows

  13. Curly

  14. Dirty

  15. Dirty Blond

  16. Dreadlocks

  17. Dry

  18. Dyed

  19. Frizzy

  20. Greasy

  21. Grey

  22. Locs

  23. Messy Bun

  24. Mohawk

  25. Ombre

  26. Pigtails

  27. Pixie-Cut

  28. Ponytail

  29. Red

  30. Shaved

  31. Shiny

  32. Shoulder-Length

  33. Smooth

  34. Soft

  35. Space Buns

  36. Straight

  37. Strawberry Blonde

  38. Stringy

  39. Thick

  40. Thin

  41. Twists

  42. Unruly

  43. Waist-Length

  44. Wavy

  45. White


Eyes

  1. Alert

  2. Almond

  3. Amber

  4. Beady

  5. Blood-Shot

  6. Blue

  7. Bright

  8. Brown

  9. Bulging

  10. Clear

  11. Close-Set

  12. Closed

  13. Crimson

  14. Cross-Eyed

  15. Crusty

  16. Dark

  17. Deep-Set

  18. Doe-Eyed

  19. Downturned

  20. Droopy

  21. Drowsy

  22. Green

  23. Grey

  24. Hazel

  25. Huge

  26. Icy

  27. Large

  28. Misty

  29. Monoloid

  30. Piercing

  31. Puffy

  32. Red-Rimed

  33. Shiny

  34. Shiny

  35. Siren-Eyed

  36. Sleepy-Eyed

  37. Small

  38. Soft

  39. Sparkly

  40. Squinty

  41. Striking

  42. Upturned

  43. Violet

  44. Wide-Set

  45. Yellow


Teeth

  1. Adult

  2. Artificial

  3. Baby

  4. Back

  5. Big

  6. Blocky

  7. Blunt

  8. Bowed

  9. Brittle

  10. Broken

  11. Buck

  12. Canine

  13. Clear

  14. Compact

  15. Conical

  16. Cracked

  17. Cylindrical

  18. Decayed

  19. Diseased

  20. Eroded

  21. Even

  22. Extracted

  23. False

  24. Gap-toothed

  25. Healthy

  26. Hollow

  27. Hooked

  28. Infected

  29. Irregular

  30. Needlelike

  31. Oval

  32. Pointed

  33. Pristine

  34. Razor-sharp

  35. Rectangular

  36. Snaggletoothed

  37. Spiked

  38. Square

  39. Subcylindrical

  40. Trapezoidal

  41. Triangular

  42. Twisted

  43. Twisty

  44. Wedge-shaped

  45. White


Lips

  1. Alluring

  2. Bitten

  3. Blue

  4. Bright

  5. Brown

  6. Chapped

  7. Cold

  8. Cracked

  9. Dark

  10. Downturned

  11. Dry

  12. Fat

  13. Flat

  14. Fleshy

  15. Full

  16. Girlie

  17. Glossy

  18. Golden

  19. Juicy

  20. Large

  21. Lipsticked

  22. Magenta

  23. Medium

  24. Oily

  25. Pierced

  26. Pink

  27. Plump

  28. Pouty

  29. Purple

  30. Rosy

  31. Sensitive

  32. Serious

  33. Shiny

  34. Small

  35. Sour

  36. Split

  37. Sultry

  38. Swollen

  39. Thin

  40. Thin

  41. Upturned

  42. Wet

  43. White

  44. Yellow

  45. Youthful


Skin

  1. Acne

  2. Ashy

  3. Birthmarks

  4. Black

  5. Blotchy

  6. Brown

  7. Burned

  8. Caramel

  9. Chaped

  10. Cold

  11. Crepey

  12. Dark

  13. Dry

  14. Flaky

  15. Flawless

  16. Flushed

  17. Freckled

  18. Golden

  19. Greasy

  20. Hairy

  21. Itchy

  22. Moles

  23. Oily

  24. Olive

  25. Pale

  26. Pink

  27. Pocked

  28. Rashy

  29. Rosy

  30. Rough

  31. Saggy

  32. Scarred

  33. Smooth

  34. Soft

  35. Splotchy

  36. Spotted

  37. Sunburned

  38. Sunkissed

  39. Sweaty

  40. Tan

  41. Taut

  42. Warm

  43. White

  44. Wrinkled

  45. Yellowish


Tops

  1. Apron

  2. Bikini Top

  3. Blazer

  4. Blouse

  5. Bra

  6. Button Up Shirt

  7. Camisole

  8. Cape

  9. Cardigan

  10. Crop Top

  11. Denim Jacket

  12. Fleece Jacket

  13. Fur Coat

  14. Graphic Tee

  15. Halter Top

  16. Hoodie

  17. Kimono

  18. Leather Jacket

  19. Maxidress

  20. Minidress

  21. Off-Shoulder Top

  22. Pajama Top

  23. Polo Shirt

  24. Poncho

  25. Puff Jacket

  26. Sari

  27. Sports Bra

  28. Sports Jersey

  29. Sundress

  30. Sweater

  31. Sweater Vest

  32. Sweatshirt

  33. Swimsuit

  34. T-Shirt

  35. Tank Top

  36. Tie

  37. Tie-Dye Shirt

  38. Trench Coat

  39. Tube Top

  40. Tunic

  41. Turtleneck

  42. Vest

  43. Waistcoat

  44. Windbreaker

  45. Workout Clothing


Pants

  1. Athletic Shorts

  2. Baggy Pants

  3. Ball Gown

  4. Bell-Bottoms

  5. Biker Shorts

  6. Bikini Bottoms

  7. Board Shorts

  8. Boy Shorts

  9. Capris

  10. Cargo Pants

  11. Denim Skirts

  12. Dress Pants

  13. Dress Shorts

  14. Flared Pants

  15. Jean Shorts

  16. Jeans

  17. Jeggings

  18. Jumpsuits

  19. Khakis

  20. Kilt

  21. Leather Pants

  22. Leggings

  23. Leotards

  24. Long Skirts

  25. Maxi Skirts

  26. Midi Skirts

  27. Miniskirts

  28. Overalls

  29. Pencil Skirts

  30. Plaid Skirts

  31. Pleated Skirts

  32. Romper

  33. Running Shorts

  34. Sarongs

  35. Skinny Jeans

  36. Skorts

  37. Stockings

  38. Sweatpants

  39. Tennis Dress

  40. Tight Jeans

  41. Tights

  42. Track Pants

  43. Tutus

  44. Underwear

  45. Yoga Pants


Shoes

  1. Ankle Boots

  2. Baby Shoes

  3. Ballet Flats

  4. Barefoot

  5. Boat Shoes

  6. Bowling Shoes

  7. Cleats

  8. Clogs

  9. Combat Boots

  10. Cowboy Boots

  11. Crocs

  12. Dress Shoes

  13. Flats

  14. Flipflops

  15. Fur-Lined Boots

  16. Galoshes

  17. High Heels

  18. Hiking Boots

  19. Ice Boots

  20. Jazz Shoes

  21. Jelly Shows

  22. Kitten Heels

  23. Loafers

  24. Mary Janes

  25. Moccasins

  26. Monk Straps

  27. Oxfords

  28. Platform Shoes

  29. Pointe Shoes

  30. Pumps

  31. Rainboots

  32. Red Bottoms

  33. Roller Skates

  34. Running Shoes

  35. Sandals

  36. Slides

  37. Slippers

  38. Sneakers

  39. Snow Boots

  40. Socks

  41. Stilettos

  42. Tap Shoes

  43. Thigh-High Boots

  44. Wedges

  45. Work Boots


The glossary above is intended to be an invaluable resource for you, providing you with an extensive collection of terms to enhance your writing. Whether your main character is a fashionable teen girl or a middle-aged hiker and explorer, the glossary has all the words you need to describe their appearance--from their hair to their feet.

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