FAT, PLUMP OR WELL-BUILT?

I give you fair warning - you are about to enter a linguistic danger zone!  As a teacher I get lots of questions about the adjective "fat" and its synonyms so I think it is worth looking at them even though this is a very problematic lexical area!

Big can be innocuous but it can also be offensive as some people will think you mean fat.

Fat is always offensive as it implies that the person is physically unattractive and has no control over their eating habits.  It is also associated with unhealthy eating habits.

Plump is a little less offensive, but not much! It implies that the person is fat but in a more attractive way and the word is associated with the idea of cheerfulness.

Well-built implies that the person has a large body and is tall. Some people might find the term offensive.

Stout is offensive and implies fatness.  We do not think of a tall person when we hear this word.  [One popular Italian publication for young learners of English suggests that it is all right to tell someone they are stout.  I advise you not to try it!]

Stocky implies that the person is both short and fat.  It is offensive.

Chubby implies roundness and that the person is plump in a pleasing way. It is often used when we are talking about babies.

Now here is one last piece of advice for the gentlemen reading this post:  When a lady asks you if a dress makes her look fat, the answer is always, "No"!

PRETTY OR BEAUTIFUL?

Here are some adjectives that often cause confusion:

We use pretty to mean attractive in an endearing, cute or delicate way. We can use it about people or things:

a pretty girl; a pretty cottage

The Elgar Birthplace in Worcester, England - a pretty cottage

[Sometimes "pretty" can be translated as carino in Italian.]

We use beautiful to mean wonderful in a sensory way, especially when we are talking about the sense of sight. We can use it about females or things but we do not usually use it to describe a male person:

a beautiful woman; a beautiful picture

To describe a male person, we usually use handsome instead of "beautiful":

a handsome man

We use lovely to mean that someone or something has a beauty that is more than physical:

a lovely man - the man is a very nice, kind person. He may or may not be attractive to look at, too.

a lovely day - the day is not only sunny but has qualities that appeal to the emotions.

We often say, "I'm having a lovely time" to mean "I'm enjoying myself".

Roy Orbison - Pretty Woman