Idioms that Describe People

Idioms that Describe People

Hi English learners! Welcome to a new lesson. We will look at 10 idioms that describe people.

Here is the list:

1. Armchair critic
2. Class act
3. Dark horse
4. Down to earth
5. Eager beaver
6. Full of beans
7. Hard/tough as nails
8. Holier-than-thou
9. Jack-of-all-trades
10. Smart aleck

Idioms that Describe People

Armchair critic

An armchair critic is someone who criticises others and pretends to be competent and experienced in something he is not.

• My husband is such an armchair critic; he always tells me how to cook, even though he doesn’t know anything about it.
• Will you stop being an armchair critic and let me do my job?

Class act

Someone described as a class act is of exceptional quality or style.

•  Although in her sixties, Madonna is still a class act in the music world.
• The princess is a true class act with her manners and politeness.

Dark horse

If we say that someone is a dark horse, we mean that they are mysterious and we know very little about them, especially if they have a hidden talent or ability.

• ‘Did you know that Simon had an art exhibition recently?’ ‘I didn’t know he was an artist? He’s such a  dark horse!’
• Who would ever dream that a dark horse such as Mark would win the competition? He turned out to be the best participant.

Idioms that Describe People

Down-to-earth

A down-to-earth person is someone easy to get on with, simple-minded, and friendly.

• Unlike her sister, who’s a bit unrealistic, Mary is down-to-earth and practical.
• Brian has always been a friendly, down-to-earth person.

Eager beaver

An eager beaver is a keen, hardworking person.

• Being an eager beaver, Johnatan was a hardworking man with limitless energy.
• In my twenties, I was an eager beaver who would always arrive to work before anybody else.

Full of beans

Someone full of beans is healthy, energetic, and enthusiastic.

• Laura was an energetic person who talked and laughed a lot, generally full of beans.
• When he woke up on Saturday morning, James was full of beans and ready for the day.

Idioms that Describe People

Hard/tough as nails

People who are hard as nails don’t feel or show any emotions.

• Stuart was a merciless, as tough as nails trader who never showed any emotion when negotiating.
• Hard as nails and always smiling, Paula would make a great addition to any team.

Holier-than-thou

A person who is holier-than-thou believes that he/she is morally superior to others.

• Alfred is a holier-than-thou kind of person who’s never smoked or spent a night in a pub with friends.
• As a holier-than-thou type, he had high standards about the people he should hang out with.

Jack-of-all-trades

Someone who has many skills and is competent in many jobs is a jack-of-all-trades.

• Sara’s husband is a jack-of-all-trades. He can drive a car, fly a plane and is a professional diver.
• Working at a campsite, Robert became a jack-of-all-trades. 

Idioms that Describe People

Smart aleck

 A smart aleck is a person who is always trying to appear clever in an irritating way.

• He was a smart aleck back in school. He thought he knew everything best and looked down on anyone who would disagree with him.
• No one in the company liked John because he was a smart aleck who always made sarcastic comments.

 

In today’s lesson, we’ve been through 10 idioms that describe people. I hope you will remember them and definitely try to use them in your English writing or speaking exercise. Let;’s look at the list one more time:

1. Armchair critic
2. Class act
3. Dark horse
4. Down to earth
5. Eager beaver
6. Full of beans
7. Hard/tough as nails
8. Holier-than-thou
9. Jack-of-all-trades
10. Smart aleck

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