Meaning & use
calling someone a character
Last updated
“calling someone a character” is a form of “call someone a character”.
Meaning
phraseidiominformal
Describing a person as unusual, interesting, or slightly eccentric, usually in an affectionate way.
Grammar: 'Character' is countable here and needs the article 'a'; the phrase is generally positive or teasing, not a serious insult.
Patterns
- call someone a character
- be a real character
- he's quite a character
My uncle tells wild stories — everyone calls him a character.
She's a real character, always singing in the hallway.
Calling him a character is a nice way of saying he's a bit odd.
Common combinations
- a real character
- The old fisherman down at the pier is a real character.
- quite a character
- Your neighbor is quite a character, isn't she?
- call someone a character
- People call her a character because of her bright hats.
- a bit of a character
- He's a bit of a character, but everyone likes him.
Synonyms and how they differ
- eccentric
- More formal and can sound critical; it stresses strange behavior rather than charm.
- oddball
- Informal and more negative, suggesting someone is strange in an unwelcome way.
- original
- A positive noun for someone unlike anyone else, without the hint of oddness.
Opposites
Word family
- character noun
- The base noun; here it means a person with a distinctive personality.
- characterful adjective
- Full of distinctive character, used mainly of places and things.
Commonly confused: calling someone a character or calling someone names?
calling someone a character vs calling someone names
This means insulting someone with rude words, which is very different from the affectionate 'calling someone a character'.
Practice
Everyone at the office says old Mr. Doyle is ___ because of his jokes and strange ties.
Choose one answer.
'A character' is the fixed expression for an amusingly unusual person. 'A type' sounds negative and vague, and 'a personality' usually refers to fame or charm, not eccentricity.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “calling someone a character”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.