Describing Qualities: English Vocabulary List

used to refer to a person or thing that is completely motionless

"He sat still as stone."

"The cat remained as still as a stone on the windowsill, watching the birds outside without making even the slightest movement for nearly an hour."

used to refer to someone or something that is very difficult to lift or move, due to being heavy

"This box is heavy lead."

"After carrying the suitcase up five flights of stairs, my arms felt as heavy as lead, and I desperately needed to sit down and rest for a while."

used to refer to someone or something that is very easy to lift and carry, due to having no considerable weight

"The pillow light feather."

"The package was surprisingly light as a feather, so I carried it effortlessly across the room without even realizing how far I had walked."

the devil or any character that has similarities to it

"He feared Old Harry."

"The superstitious sailor believed that the storm was the work of Old Harry himself, bringing them bad luck."

mail that is delivered physically by the postal system as opposed to email and other electronic means

"Send it by snail mail."

"For official documents that require a physical signature, it's best to use snail mail rather than email."

a person's fist

"He showed a bunch of fives."

"The frustrated customer, feeling ignored, clenched his fist and threatened to give the cashier a bunch of fives."

(of a person) not attending a place one was supposed to or leaving an obligation without any notice or permission

"The student was AWOL."

"The soldier went AWOL for three days and he was court martialed and sentenced to thirty days of hard labor."

to find a thing that one was searching for

"I will get a hold of it."

"After searching for hours, she finally managed to get a hold of the rare book she had been wanting for years."

to succeed in obtaining something

"I need to lay my hands on a good book."

"I would love to get my hands on a copy of that rare book but it is very expensive."

ready to be used or obtained

"The last piece of cake is up for grabs."

"The championship trophy is up for grabs this year because there is no clear favourite to win it."

to lose one's temper or become really upset

"She went spare yesterday."

"The constant delays caused the normally calm driver to go spare."

adhering to traditional values, methods, or styles

"He has an old school approach to discipline."

"My grandfather has old school values like hard work honesty and respect for your elders."

very appealing to the eyes

"She looks pretty as picture."

"The small village nestled between the green hills and the sparkling river was as pretty as a picture, attracting photographers from all over the world every spring."

used to refer to a place that is completely silent or quiet, with no noise or sound at all

"The room silent as grave."

"When the teacher entered the classroom unexpectedly, the hallway became as silent as the grave, and not a single student dared to whisper or make any sound."

used of someone or something that is seen or considered very normal in America

"Baseball is American apple pie."

"Gathering with friends and family around the grill on the Fourth of July feels as American as apple pie, celebrating freedom and togetherness every single year."

in alignment with a specific path, course, or set of guidelines within a given context or framework

"We are thinking along line of vacation."

"The artist's early work was along the line of impressionism before he developed his own unique style later in his career."

(of a thing) in its most natural or true state of existence

"Let's see it in the raw."

"The documentary presented the harsh realities of war in the raw."

a person or thing that is very strange or unattractive in appearance

"He was a sight for sore eyes."

"The rescue dog, with its matted fur and sad eyes, was a sight for sore eyes."

used to say that something is extreme or exciting

"The party went off the rails."

"His wild and unpredictable behavior at the conference clearly went off the rails."

referring to something that is stolen or not in its usual place

"The item is awol."

"After searching everywhere, we concluded that the crucial piece of evidence had gone awol during the chaotic investigation."

to be available for use only due to being unwanted

"These chairs will go spare."

"The old office furniture will likely go spare once the new ergonomic chairs arrive."

(of an object) clear or thin enough for one to be able to see through it

"The glass is crystal clear."

"Through the crystal clear water, we could see the colorful coral reefs below."

extremely or unusually small in size or importance

"I was knee-high to a grasshopper."

"When I was knee-high to a grasshopper, I believed that giants lived in the nearby woods."

used to say that something is not following the planned or expected course

"The train went off the rails."

"Without proper guidance, the project began to go off the rails, leading to significant delays."