provides a characterization

to report attributes or labels accurately

in journalism articles, formal reports, legal testimony, academic descriptions

professional settings (e.g., reviews, analyses), academic writing, everyday conversation when giving an objective assessment

describe; as

describe; as

replace ‘[the performance]’ with any noun phrase; replace ‘[him]’ or similar personal pronouns similarly

• often
• best
• variously
• describe someone as

• characterize as
• portray as
• label as (note: ‘label as’ can carry a slightly more evaluative tone)

avoid using the preposition *like* instead of *as*; omitting ‘as’ leads to ungrammatical forms like “She described him like impatient”.

characterise as, label as, portray as – these are related but may differ in register or connotation

Spanish learners often mistakenly use ‘como’ without the English particle ‘as’, leading to errors such as “Describe it como excellent”. Keep the construction intact.

• characterise as
• label as
• portray as
• brand as

'describe as' remains neutral and factual, whereas 'label as' can imply a more evaluative judgment (e.g., criticism).

conveys an objective, descriptive tone that signals credibility; useful for establishing facts rather than opinions.

“She described the service as excellent.”

This chunk is used to provide a factual description or characterization of someone or something. It is commonly used in professional, academic, and formal contexts to convey an objective assessment.

use ‘characterise as’ for analytical writing