He everyone! Welcome to today’s lesson on advanced vocabulary for describing people in English! In this session, we’ll dive into 15 descriptions complete with clear definitions and illustrative example sentences. Plus, I’ve included my video lesson to make learning even more engaging.
And that’s not all—stick around until the end for a mini test to see how much you’ve learned. Ready to expand your vocabulary? Let’s start!
1) newcomer
A newcomer is new to a place or a group like a sports club, office or team.
- Everyone in the Bookworm Reading Club helped me feel welcome as a newcomer.
- Our company’s training program is designed to support newcomers.
2) novice
A novice is new to a skill or subject – little experience.
- The coding course is designed for novices with no prior knowledge or experience.
- I’m a novice at baking and haven’t baked a successful cake yet. Nope. I’m still trying.
3) newbie
A newbie is an informal way to say a “novice”.
- I’m a newbie to coding and spend hours a day asking Google and ChatGPT how to do things.
- How do you add text to a picture on Instagram? Sorry for asking, but I’m a complete newbie.
4) rookie
A rookie is mainly used to describe someone who is new to a sports team or the police force.
- The rookie quarterback impressed everyone with his performance in the first game.
- Steve is a rookie cop and has to prove himself to his senior officers.
All of the words in today’s lesson can be used as nouns. But, you can see in these two examples, “rookie” is being used as an adjective.
In this lesson, I’ll use a combination of both – nouns and adjectives.
5) expert
An expert is someone who is the opposite of a “novice”.
- The museum featured a talk by an expert on ancient Egyptian artefacts.
- As an expert in cybersecurity, Mark was hired to assess the company’s digital defences.
6) veteran
A veteran is someone who is the opposite of a “newcomer”. A veteran can also be a retired soldier who has fought in a war.
- As a veteran photographer, Bill Sampson’s portfolio is filled with iconic images of Hollywood stars and
music legends. - My grandfather was a veteran of World War II.
7) professional
A professional is a person who has a high level of training and education.
- Linda received recognition as a top professional in the field of architecture.
- You can’t criticize Gordon Ramsay’s cooking. He’s a professional chef!
8) amateur
An amateur is the opposite of a “professional”.
- The play was wonderful and the acting was incredible, but I thought the man playing the mayor was a
complete amateur. He was hard to watch. - The city’s annual charity soccer match is open to both professionals and amateurs. Everyone is
welcome to play.
9) layman
A layman is someone who is not part of a specific industry, so they do not know the subject or
vocabulary.
- My science teacher explained the complex theory in terms that a layman could understand.
- How can a layman possibly understand any of these legal terms on this website?
10) minimalist
A minimalist is someone who enjoys a simple lifestyle and minimal furnishings in their home.
- Jenna is a true minimalist; she only owns what she absolutely needs and loves.
- Craig’s apartment is decorated in a minimalist style, with clean lines and neutral colors.
11) maximalist
A maximalist is the opposite of a “minimalist”.
- As a maximalist, Tom finds joy in collecting various art pieces and displaying them throughout his
house. - The garden design takes a maximalist approach, with an abundance of plants, flowers, and decorative
elements filling every available space.
12) insider
An insider is a person who is part of an industry, has experience, and has connections.
- A journalist spoke to an insider who revealed details about the company’s new product.
- During the interview, Karen shared her experiences as an insider in the film industry, giving us a
behind-the-scenes look at movie production.
13) outsider
An outsider is the opposite of an “insider”.
- Even though I’ve lived in my town for almost five years, I still feel like an outsider. I don’t feel like I
belong. - Liam felt like an outsider at the family reunion since he hadn’t seen his relatives in years.
14) latecomer
A latecomer is someone who is late to an event.
- Latecomers will not be allowed in the testing room. Sorry.
- Marcia waited by the entrance to welcome any latecomers and direct them to the appropriate check in desk.
15) enthusiast
An enthusiast is someone is is really enthusiastic about a topic or activity.
- Being a fitness enthusiast, Brendan decided to turn his passion into a profession and become a
personal trainer. - Veronica is a real surfing enthusiast and writes the name of every beach she has surfed at on her
surfboard.
Test Time!
It’s time to put your new vocabulary to the test! I’ve prepared a quick and interactive quiz to see if you’ve mastered these advanced descriptions. Give it a try and let me know your score in the comments below.
