the natural colour and condition of the skin on a person’s face 面色；肤色；气色 a pale/bad complexion 苍白的／病态的脸色
Collocations Physical appearancePhysical appearance 外貌 - A person may be described as having:
描述一个人的长相可用 have 一词： Eyes 眼睛 - (bright) blue/green/(dark/light) brown/hazel eyes
- deep-set/sunken/bulging/protruding eyes
- small/beady/sparkling/twinkling/(informal) shifty eyes
- piercing/penetrating/steely eyes
- bloodshot/watery/puffy eyes
- bushy/thick/dark/raised/arched eyebrows
- long/dark/thick/curly/false eyelashes/lashes
Face 脸 - a flat/bulbous/pointed/sharp/snub nose
- a straight/a hooked/a Roman/(formal) an aquiline nose
- full/thick/thin/pouty lips
- dry/chapped/cracked lips
- flushed/rosy/red/ruddy/pale cheeks
- soft/chubby/sunken cheeks
- white/perfect/crooked/protruding teeth
- a large/high/broad/wide/sloping forehead
- a strong/weak/pointed/double chin
- a long/full/bushy/wispy/goatee beard
- a long/thin/bushy/droopy/handlebar/pencil moustache
Hair and skin 头发和皮肤 - pale/fair/olive/dark/tanned skin
- dry/oily/smooth/rough/leathery/wrinkled skin
- a dark/pale/light/sallow/ruddy/olive/swarthy/clear complexion
- deep/fine/little/facial wrinkles
- blonde/blond/fair/(light/dark) brown/(jet-)black/auburn/red/(British English) ginger/grey hair
- straight/curly/wavy/frizzy/spiky hair
- thick/thin/fine/bushy/thinning hair
- dyed/bleached/soft/silky/dry/greasy/shiny hair
- long/short/shoulder-length/cropped hair
- a bald/balding/shaved head
- a receding hairline
- a bald patch/spot
- a side/centre(British English) parting
Body 身体 - a long/short/thick/slender/(disapproving) scrawny neck
- broad/narrow/sloping/rounded/hunched shoulders
- a bare/broad/muscular/small/large chest
- a flat/swollen/bulging stomach
- a small/tiny/narrow/slim/slender/28-inch waist
- big/wide/narrow/slim hips
- a straight/bent/arched/broad/hairy back
- thin/slender/muscular arms
- big/large/small/manicured/calloused/gloved hands
- long/short/fat/slender/delicate/bony fingers
- long/muscular/hairy/shapely/(both informal, often disapproving) skinny/spindly legs
- muscular/chubby/(informal, disapproving) flabby thighs
- big/little/small/dainty/wide/narrow/bare feet
- a good/a slim/a slender/an hourglass figure
- be of slim/medium/average/large/athletic/stocky build
有着苗条的／中等的／普通的／大块头的／健壮的／矮壮的身材
Extra ExamplesTopics Appearancec2Years of heavy drinking had given Alison a florid complexion. 长期酗酒使艾莉森面色绯红。 a young girl with a rosy complexion 面色红润的年轻女孩 Her auburn hair and blue eyes, together with a fine complexion, made her extremely attractive. 她那赤褐色的头发和蓝色的眼睛，再加上健康的肤色，使她迷人极了。 a dark/healthy complexion 深色/健康的肤色
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- beautiful
- clear
- flawless
- …
- have
- give somebody
- [usually singular]
the general character of something （事物的）性质，特性 a move that changed the political complexion of the country 此举改变了该国的政治肤色
Extra Examplesa change in the political complexion of the council 市政会政治性质的变化 Hughes helped change the complexion of Hollywood. 休斯促进了好莱坞面貌的改变。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- different
- new
- political
- …
- put
- take on
- change
- …
Word OriginMiddle English: via Old French from Latin complexio(n-) ‘combination’ (in late Latin ‘physical constitution’), from complectere ‘embrace, comprise’. The term originally denoted physical constitution or temperament determined by the combination of the four bodily humours; sense (1) (late 16th cent.) being a visible sign of this.
Idioms
put a new/different complexion on something
to change the way that a situation appears 使形势改观 What you have told us puts a different complexion on the situation. 你所告诉我们的信息使情况的性质大为不同了。 The joke took on a rather serious complexion when the police became involved. 当涉及到警察时，玩笑就变得严肃起来了。