Physical descriptors
From InquisitionWiki
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Physical Features
There comes a time in every roleplayer's career when they just can't think of that perfect word to describe their character. Hopefully, with this list, you'll find writing your description and intro much easier. Every limb and facial feature can have a uniqueness which helps your character stand out from the crowd.
Skin, Complexion, and Blemishes
acned: covered in pimples.
age spots: liver spots, brown spots on the face and hands found most often on the elderly.
albino: no pigment, milky or translucent color.
blanched: white or pale.
bleached: very light, implies a tone of the color that is severely brightened or washed-out.
blemished: with imperfections such as acne, boils, moles, scars, etc.
blotchy: splotched, mottled, with irregular patches of color.
blushed: red or pink, almost as though embarassed.
cadaverous: corpse-like, leaden, cyanotic, colorless.
chapped: caused to open in slits or chinks, split, caused to crack or become rough.
cratered: deeply pitted from acne or illness.
cyanotic: gray or bluish tinge created from lack of oxygen in the blood.
dirty: not clean, covered with dirt.
dusty: covered with dust, or colored as if so.
doughy: the color of or resembling the consistency of dough.
downy: very soft and smooth.
fair: light-colored.
filthy: not clean, dirty.
florid: flushed red, pink, or rosy.
flushed: red in the face, blushed.
flustered: ruddy, healthy red.
freckles: small brownish spots that increase in number and intensity on exposure to sunlight.
greasy: oily.
jaundiced: yellowish complexion also affecting the whites of the eyes, a condition caused by illness.
leaden: the color of lead, dark gray.
leathery: tough, brown, hide-like skin.
lentigo: a brownish spot unrelated to a freckle.
livid: grayish-blue or lead-colored, black and blue like a bruise, corpse-like.
moled: having moles.
mottled: blotchy.
nevus: any birthmark.
nubby: rough.
oily: greasy
pale: blanched, white.
pallid: pale, faint, or wan.
pasty: like paste in color or texture, whitish or yellowish.
piebald skin: patches of skin lacking pigment.
pitted: cratered from acne or illness.
pocked: cratered from acne or illness.
pustuled: with large sores filled with puss, or acne.
rosacea: small pimples and a raw, red look.
sandpaper: rough, coarse.
scarred: cut, marred, disfigured.
shriveled: weathered, wizened, withered, wrinkled.
splotchy: irregularly colored, blotchy.
sun-browned: suntanned.
sunburned: reddened by the sun.
swarthy: a dark complexion.
vitiligo: a skin disorder manifested by smooth white spots on various parts of the body.
wan: pale.
warts: raised patches or bumps.
warty: having warts.
waxy: pasty, cadaverous, greasy, or oily.
weatherbeaten: weathered by years in the sun, leathery.
weathered: leathery, wrinkled, old.
wine stain: a wine-colored birthmark.
withered: dried up, weathered, shriveled, old.
wizened: old and weathered.
wrinkled: aged with wrinkles and lines.
Eye Types and Shapes
almond: shaped like an almond.
beady: small and round.
bloodshot: red and irritated, as from crying or sleep deprivation.
bug: protruding.
bulging: protruding.
bullish: fierce.
button: round, and usually meaning small.
cadaverous: corpse-like, leaden, or cyanotic, colorless.
canted: angled upward at the edges.
cataract: having a milky, clouded lens.
close-set: eyes that are close together but not quite crossed.
crescent: half-moon shaped, squinted, either naturally or when grinning.
cross-eyed: focusing constantly on the nose.
cock-eyed: focusing in different directions.
cunieform: as though drawn on the face with a chisel.
cyanotic: gray or bluish tinge created from lack of oxygen in the blood.
deep-set: set into the skull, usually caused by a prominent brow.
dewdrop: the shape of a teardrop.
downturned: eyelids curve down at the outside corners.
dull: appearing lifeless, distant.
egg-shaped: large and ovoid.
esotropic: one eye looks towards the nose, the other looks straight.
exotropic: one eye looks away from the nose, the other looks straight.
falcon: small, round, bird-like.
feline: cat-like with lentil-shaped pupils.
fish: glassy and emotionless.
gimlet: piercing, penetrating eyes.
glass eye: a false eye of any color.
goggle: prominent or bulging.
hollowed eye sockets: descriptive for deep-set eyes, common among the malnourished.
hooded: lids covering part or half of the eyes, sleepy-eyed or bored.
jackal-like: cold and indifferent, predatory.
jaundiced: yellowish tint the whites of the eyes, a condition caused by illness.
lenticular: shaped like a lentil or bioconvex lens, the most common eye shape.
livid: grayish-blue or lead-colored, black and blue like a bruise, corpse-like.
luminous: shining, reflecting light at night.
lunulate: crescent or moon-shaped.
moody: darkly colored, multi-colored.
nacreous: pearled, opalescent, milky, iridescent.
owlish: wide, round, alert.
pale: blanched, white.
pea: tiny and round.
pop: protruding or bulging.
protuberant: protruding or bulging.
rheumy: wayery, moist, having a thin film.
saucer: large, goggle-like eyes.
slanted: angled upward at the edges.
slitted: narrow, like slits.
sleepy: having droopy eyelids.
sloe: large and dark, almond-shaped.
squinty: slitted, squinted as though with difficulty seeing.
strabismus: the condition of squinting.
stormy: of shifting, swirling, or mixed colors.
sunken: deep eye sockets.
tenebrous: dark, gloomy, can imply sunken or sullen-looking
variegated: flecked with various colors.
walleyed: large, glossy eyes, also meaning a white iris.
wide-set: eyes that are set wide apart in the face.
wood eye: a false eye of wood, painted any color.
Nose Types and Shapes
aquiline: hooked or curved like an eagle's beak.
beakish: hooked like a bird's beak.
bent: a malformed nose or one that has been broken.
bob: knoblike.
boxer's: broken, misshapen.
broken: misshapen and bent due to an injury.
bulbous: large, shaped like a bulb.
button: round and small, often considered cute.
chiseled: smooth, angular, almost as though it has been sculpted.
crooked: skewed, not straight.
droopy: with a very low tip, a result of aging.
flaring: with wide nostrils.
flat: a nose that is flat on the face.
funnel: having nostrils which pass onto the bridge.
gourdlike: warty or gnarled, misshapen, like a gourd.
hawkish: hooked like a hawk's beak.
high-cut: nostrils cut high in the nose.
hog-nosed: like a pig snout, pushed in and up.
hooked: curved, aquiline, beaked, hawkish.
pointy: coming to a sharp point.
pug: short, flattened, turned up at the end.
pugilist: broken, misshapen.
pig-nosed: like a pig snout, pushed in and up.
regal: having a high and distinctive bridge.
skewed: crooked.
snout: turned up on the end with wide, large nostrils.
snub: short and upturned.
stubby: short, broad, or blunt.
upturned: turned up on the end.
Mouth Types
beestung: short but very full and round.
bowed: curved like a bow.
cruel: set in a very thin, harsh line.
cleft-lip: a condition where a part of the lip is drawn sharply upward as though a hook had been set in it and pulled toward the nose.
cupid's bow: an especially full, exaggerated and feminine shape.
curled: a lip that seems caught in a snarl.
dour: with wrinkles set around the top and bottom as though one were aged and sucking on lemons.
deformed: cleft-lipped, twisted, oddly shaped, wrong in some way.
firm: not soft.
full: rounded and thick.
glamour: a fuller upper lip than lower lip.
hare-lip: a condition where a part of the lip is drawn sharply upward as though a hook had been set in it and pulled toward the nose.
misshapen: oddly shaped, deformed.
natural: the "average" lip shape.
pallid: pale.
pointed natural: like the natural, but with more pointed peaks.
pouty: lips that seem to pout naturally, a thick lower lip.
pressed: thin lips.
protruding: sticking out.
puckered: as though one were sucking on a lemon or offering a kiss.
rosebud: small and round.
sensual: curved gently and soft.
smear: full lips with wide, spaced peaks.
soft: not firm.
thin: not full or round, like a line.
uni-lip: full and peakless.
Hair Types and Styles
afro: sometimes called a "natural", a hairstyle in which the hair extends out from the head like a halo or cloud.
bald: hairless.
beaded: woven or threaded with beads.
bob: a feminine hairstyle in which the hair is cut short, but a weighted area is left to fall between the ears and chin.
brassy: when applied to any color, having an almost metallic sheen to it.
billowing: airy, flowing.
bird's nest: ratty, matted, messy.
blonde: light-colored or yellowish.
bouffant: a type of hairstyle characterized by hair piled high on the head and hanging down on the sides.
bowl cut: a haircut where the hair is cut short on the sides and back and allowed to grow long on the top.
boyish: cut short, looking like a young male.
braided: woven into braids.
brunette: brownish in color.
brushed-back: brushed away from the face.
bug-ridden: filled with lice.
bun: rolled into a knot on the back of the head.
bushy: thick hair flying in all directions.
chignon: a knot or roll, twisted into a circle or "figure eight" at the back of the head.
chin-length: cut to the chin.
clean: not dirty.
coarse: rough, split-ended.
coiled: a coil of plaits, worn on back, side, or top of head.
combed: neatly kempt.
comb over: a hairstyle worn by bald or balding men in which the hair on one side of the head is grown long and then combed over the bald area.
cornrows: raised, continuous braids, woven closely to the scalp.
crimped: little, tight waves.
cropped: cut short.
curly: with many curls.
dirty: covered in filth, not clean.
dirty-blonde: a dark, ashy blonde.
downy: very soft, smooth
dread-locked: twisted to cluster into long, thick locks.
dreaded: another term for dread-locked.
fair-haired: blonde.
faux-hawk: the hair on the top of the head is combed to resemble a mohawk while the hair on the sides of the head is not shaved, though it might be shorter.
fiery-haired: red-haired.
filthy: dirty, oily.
fine: thin, soft.
fluffy: bouncy.
flyaway: going in all directions.
fofa: a type of hairstyle, short to medium length on the sides and back, with a receding hairline from the forehead back due to a natural baldness. Usually found on distinguished gentlemen and derived from the style of monks.
frayed: like unravelled yarn, frizzy.
frazzled: unkempt, frizzy.
fringe: the front part of the hair cut to hang or curl over the forehead.
frizzy: unkempt, flying in all directions.
glossy: hair that is shiny or oily.
greasy: oily, dirty.
grizzled: coarse-haired.
hoary: old, dry, frazzled.
kinky: in tight curls or knots.
knotted: worn in a knot or top-knot, also may mean tangled.
limp: lifeless, hanging loosely, drab.
long: not short.
lustrous: shining.
matted: tangled, knotted.
mohawked: shaven on either side with a central tuft of hair usually made to stand on end.
nappy: tightly curled, almost looking like knots.
neatly kempt: combed.
oily: greasy.
pageboy: a hairstyle in which the hair is almost shoulder-length except for a fringe in the front.
peppercorn: short, tightly curled spiral tufts that form into cones with bare skin in between.
pig-tailed: pulled back into two tails, one on either side of the head.
platinum-blonde: so blonde as to be almost white.
plaited: braided or woven in intricate patterns.
pony-tailed: tied back into a single tail at the back or side of the head.
premature gray: gray before the usual expected age.
quiff: a hairstyle where part of the hair is put up high on the top of the head.
ratty: matted.
receding: a hairline that shows the beginnings of baldness.
red-head: having red hair.
ringlets: neat, tight, bouncy curls.
ropey: having the texture of rope, thick and frayed.
rows: braids in rows all over the head.
scraggly: sticking out in all directions.
shaggy: unkempt, sticking out in all directions, much hair.
shaven: cut short with a razor so that only stubble remains.
shiny: hair that reflects light.
shorn: shaved.
short: not long.
slicked: matted back, flat, greased.
spikey: spiked, stiffly sticking up.
straight: without curls.
stringy: like twine.
stubbly: cut short with a razor so that only stubble remains.
tangled: matted, not combed.
tonsure: a haircut is most identifiable with monks; having a rim of hair about the head with the top shaved off.
top-knotted: shaved all over save for a portion on the top or back of the head that is allowed to grow long and is sometimes braided or left long.
tow-headed: platinum or white-haired.
wavy: lightly curled.
widow's peak: a hairline that comes to a point.
wild: tangled, flying in all directions, untamable.
wiry: like wire.
wispy: thin, sparse.
wooly: like wool.
woven: plaited or braided in a weave.
Facial Hair
a la Souvaroff: a moustache or beard which is joined to the side-burns while the chin is left clean-shaven.
anchor: a short, pointed beard worn at the edge of the chin with a fringe extending up to the center of the bottom lip.
barbula: a small tuft of hair under the bottom lip.
belgrave: neatly groomed, mid-length beard. Cut round, square, or pointed.
burnside: the moustache joins with the sideburns and the jaw is left clean shaven.
cadiz: a pointed, mid-length beard.
cathedral: a full beard split into two tails at the bottom, each with a point.
chevron: a moustache cut like an inverted V.
cookie-duster: a humorous term for a moustache which hangs low over the lips 'dusting' the food as it's eaten.
forked: a full beard split into two tails at the bottom, each with a point.
fu manchu: a long, sweeping, thin moustache allowed to droop low past the chin, worn with a narrow beard.
goatee: a small, goat-like beard.
grizzled: flecked with gray.
handlebar: a long moustache with ends turned up at the edges to resemble the handlebars of a bike.
muttonchops: thick sideburns that are made to look like a haunch of mutton in shape.
peach-fuzz: light fur, pubescent whiskers.
rat's nest: an unkempt, ungroomed beard.
regent: a neat moustache resembling a curved letter M.
screw: a short beard that is twisted or twined.
spade: a round or pointed beard in the shape of a spade.
stiletto: a long, slender, pointy beard.
walrus: a very long moustache which hangs low over the lips.
waxed: curled tips on a moustache, waxed to hold its shape.
winged: a moustache cut to look like bird wings.
Chin and Jaw Types
angular: pointed chin and jaw.
cleft chin: a chin with a divot in it, appearing to be two chin pieces.
double chin: a chin with a mirroring pouch of skin underneath the chin so that it appears that a person has two chins.
heavy jaw: a jaw that appears to hold much weight.
noble chin: a chin that seems sculpted and powerful, prominent.
pointed chin: a chin that has a sharp angle.
receding chin: a chin that is not prominent or falls back.
refined chin: a chin that seems sculpted.
round chin: a chin that is round.
set jaw: a prominent jaw that gives the face a determined appearance.
slack-jawed: a jaw which is unable, for some reason, to appear completely closed. Often considered unrefined.
square-jaw: squared, sharply angular around the ears.
weak chin: a chin that is not prominent or falls back.
Cheek or Jowl Types
dimpled: with dimples in the cheeks at either side of a smile.
chubby: round.
flabby: fat.
high cheekbones: cheekbones are set high on the face.
hollow: sunken cheeks with dark shadows on them.
pendulous: flabby, hanging loose or swaying.
pouchy: appearing to have pouches on either side of the face.
round: chubby.
Types of Teeth
blackened: stained with a dark substance.
buck-teeth: front two teeth stick out far over the bottom teeth.
crooked: not straight.
fangs: sharp, pointed, and pronounced
gap-toothed: with gaps between the teeth.
jagged: triangular in shape, varying in height.
overbite: when the teeth stick out over the bottom lip.
pearly: very white.
pitted: not well cared for and full of cavities.
pointy: with sharp points.
saw-toothed: jagged, like a saw.
snaggle-toothed: jagged and crooked, prominently so.
stained: having the color of some often-eaten substance.
tusks: overly-large teeth like a walrus.
underbite: like a bull-dog, where the bottom teeth stick out.
yellowed: stained yellow.
Head and Face Types
angular: pressed into an angle with a narrow, pinched face. When seen from above, it looks like a teardrop.
aristocratic: strong, chiseled features.
arrow-headed: pointed like an arrow with a wide jaw.
asymmetrical: having a face or head that is not the same on both sides.
bat-faced: having pinched features, beady eyes, and a pugged nose.
beefy: a wide face with strong features.
bird-like: pointed, like a bird, often with a beak-like nose.
boyish face: having the features of a young boy.
careworn face: showing the wearing effects of overwork, care, or suffering.
child-like face: small features, soft skin, generally appearing young.
cherubic face: like a child, a baby, or an angel, with small features and healthy, smooth skin.
chiseled face: appearing to be cut out of stone with very defined lines and sharp features.
comely face: a face with features pleasing to the eye.
domed: a large, round top of the head.
doughy: flabby, having the color and consistency of dough.
drawn: a face subjected to great tension or stress, stretched tight.
egg-shaped: ovular or round.
fat-faced: with large cheeks, round-headed.
feline face: sharp, with the features of a cat.
fleshy-faced: having an abundance of extra skin.
gibbous: swelling by a regular curve or surface, protuberant, convex.
haggard: having the expression or features of one wasted by want or suffering.
handsome: rugged, good-looking, considered ideal.
heart-shaped: a face shaped like a heart.
high-domed: a large domed head.
high-forehead: with a hairline that is high on the head.
lined: a face that is wrinkled, covered with lines.
low-forehead: with a hairline that is low on the face.
moon-faced: having a face that has the shape of a moon either in profile or head-on.
narrow: a thin head where the ears are closer together.
oval: the shape of an oval or an egg.
pinched: narrow, appearing as though the head has been pinched side-to-side or up-and-down.
protruding brow: a brow that juts forth.
round: rounded, often associated with fat-cheeks.
sculpted features: appearing to be shaped into stone.
sloped forehead: a forehead that slopes sharply back instead of rising and curving gently.
square: a squared jaw and face to make the head seem square.
symmetrical: having a face or head that is the same on both sides, usually considered a requirement for beauty.
timeworn: wrinkled and old, showing the strains of time.
wedge-shaped: shaped like a wedge of cheese with a sharp chin.
wrinkle-faced: lined with age or strain, wizened.
Body Types
anorexic: unhealthily thin, as though having an aversion to eating.
athletic: toned with muscle.
barrel-chested: having a broad chest that is round as a barrel.
beefy: muscular and heavily built, burly, husky.
bent: stooped
big-boned: usually describes a large person who is fat but has a large frame to carry it.
bosomy: having large breasts.
bow-spined: having a back that is bowed into a permanently curved shape so that the head hangs low.
brawny: rugged and powerful.
burly: muscular and heavily built.
buxom: a womanly, curvaceous, voluptuous, or slightly chubby body.
chubby: slightly overweight, having ample curves.
colossal: so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe.
corpulent: very fat, even obese.
curvaceous: having ample curves.
curvy: buxom, having large hips and thighs.
deformed: unnatural or distorted in form, misshapen, disfigured.
delicate: small bones and frame, appearing fragile.
diminutive: very small and short.
dumpy: short and fat, sturdy, podgy.
elephantine: of great mass, huge and bulky.
emaciated: very thin, especially from disease or hunger.
fat: having much flesh, having a relatively large diameter, overly high body weight for one's height.
fleshy: usually describes a large person who is fat but has a large frame to carry it.
fragile: small bones and frame, appearing delicate.
full-bosomed: having large breasts.
full-figured: having a large frame, buxom, curvy.
gangly: tall and thin, having long, slender limbs, implies lack of grace in appearance.
gargantuan: of great mass, huge and bulky.
gaunt: very thin, bony, malnourished.
gnarled: knobby or knotty like a tree.
haggard: wasted away by suffering.
hunchbacked: having a hump on the back.
hunched: having the back and shoulders rounded, not erect.
husky: powerful, strong, slightly overweight or muscular.
lanky: tall and thin, having long, slender limbs, implies lack of grace in appearance.
lavishly endowed: generously gifted with weight, curves, and other features.
lean: thin.
leggy: having especially long legs.
lissome: gracefully slender, svelte.
lithe: svelte, supple, slender.
lumpy: overweight with protruding pockets of fat.
malnourished: gaunt, anorexic, emaciated, unhealthy.
muscled: covered with musculature.
obese: excessively fat.
palsied: affected with palsy or uncontrollable tremor.
paunchy: having a large belly.
petite: small, short, with small bones.
plump: slightly overweight.
portly: corpulent, overweight.
pot-bellied: having a large belly that is round as a pot.
pudgy: short and fat or sturdy, dumpy.
rangy: tall and thin, having long, slender limbs, implies lack of grace in appearance.
reedy: resembling a reed or twig in being slender and fragile.
rickety: inclined to shake as from weakness or defect.
robust: evincing strength, indicating vigorous health.
roly-poly: fat, round.
rotund: corpulent and round.
rugged: sturdy and strong, looking as if one has survived hardships well.
runty: diminutive, underweight, weak.
scrawny: thin, bony, meager, underweight.
sinewy: toned with light muscle.
skeletal: thin as a skeleton, anorexic, unhealthy.
sleek: well-groomed and toned.
slight: slender, thin.
slim: slender, thin.
slinky: lank, thin, graceful.
spindly: long-limbed and thin.
squat: short and thick.
stacked: well or attractively formed with respect to physique.
stalwart: appearing strong and muscular, rugged.
statuesque: of size and dignity suggestive of a statue, symmetrical features.
stocky: powerful, strong, slightly overweight or muscular.
stooped: habitually assuming a bent position, slouching.
stout: firm, bulky, tough, strong.
strapping: muscular and heavily built.
stubby: short and blunt.
svelte: refined, graceful, slender, moving with ease.
tall: not short.
thickset: short, stout, fat or muscular.
thin: lightweight.
towering: very tall, imposingly so.
voluptuous: a womanly, curvaceous, buxom, or slightly chubby body.
waspish: having a slender waist.
well-muscled: strong and built.
whip-thin: very slender.
willowy: slender and graceful.
wiry: lean and sinewy.
See Also:
External Links
Guide to Human Types: Asian and Amerindian
Guide to Human Types: Caucasian
