Is describing someone’s appearance loshon hara?

Question

Is describing how someone looks loshon hara if the attributes are commonly perceived as negative?

Answer 1

A relevant source might be Nedarim 50b:

ההיא דאתיא לקמיה דרב יהודה מנהרדעא לדינא ואיתחייבת מן דינא אמרה ליה שמואל רבך הכי דנן אמר לה ידעת ליה אמרה ליה אין גוצא ורבה כריסיה אוכם ורבה שיניה אמר לה לבזוייה קאתית תיהוי ההיא אתתא בשמתא פקעה ומתה:

A certain woman came before Rav Yehuda of the city of Neharde’a for judgment, and she was found guilty in the judgment of her case. She said to him: Would Shmuel your teacher have judged me in this manner? He said to her: Did you know him? She said to him: Yes. He was short and potbellied. He was dark and his teeth were large. He said to her: Did you come here to disparage him by describing him in this manner? Let that woman be in a state of excommunication. After he excommunicated her, her belly split open and she died, as a punishment for having disparaged a Torah scholar.

Maharik (teshuvah 185) notes that even though on the surface she could have claimed that she didn't mean to be insulting, that wouldn't wash:

וגדול' מזו מצינו בפ' הנודר מן המבושל (נדרים דף נ) גבי ההיא איתתא דאיחייבא בבי דינא דרב יודא כו' דא"ל ידעתי ליה אמרה ליה אין זוטר ורב כרסייה וכו' וא"ל לבזויי קא מכוונת אמר לה תהוי ההיא אתתא בשמתא וכו' ומביה ראיה במרדכי בת"ש השייכות לסדר נשים דמשמתינן אע"ג דמצי למימר לא לבזויי נתכוונתי כו'.

Moreover, we find [the story from the Gemara cited above]. From this the Mordechai, in the teshuvos relevant to Seder Nashim, proves that we excommunicate someone [who talks this way], even though they could argue that they didn't mean to be insulting.

Granted, then, that in that case there's the additional factor of disparaging a talmid chacham, it does suggest that such a description is lashon hara.

Answer 2

the chofetz chaim has 7 conditions thta let's one speak lashon hara. if you are missing one then it is an aveira.

The concept of lashon hara Letoelet let's one speak lashon hara. the chofetz chaim says you neeed these 7 condition.

1-Thethe one telling it to you had to witnessed the incident himself, rather than knowing about it from rumor. (If he has only heard about the incident, then he must verify its authenticity firsthand.) 2-The speaker should reflect thoroughly, not hastily concluding something is theft or damage or any other offense, that the action in question is truly a violation according to halacha. 3-The speaker should first approach the transgressor privately, and rebuke him with gentle language (such that the transgressor would be inclined to listen), because perhaps this can have an impact and inspire the person to improve his ways. If the transgressor does not listen, then the speaker should alert the public of the individual’s guilt. (In a case where the speaker knows in advance that the transgressor won’t listen to rebuke, we will discuss it IY”H in paragraph 7.) 4-The description of the sin should not be exaggerated [for “effect” or any other reason]. 5-The speaker must have pure intentions (“to’elet,” lit. “purpose”). As we will discuss later in paragraph 4, the speaker should not – Heaven forbid – enjoy his friend’s (the transgressor’s) disgrace, nor act out of a previous hatred he felt for the person. 6-If the purpose of speaking the Lashon Hara (e.g. causing the sinner to repent, warning the community to stay away from such activity) can be achieved in another way rather than speaking Lashon Hara, it is forbidden to speak Lashon Hara. 7-By speaking Lashon Hara, the transgressor should not be caused more damage than would be appropriate as determined by a court of Jewish law reviewing the case. This is discussed in detail in Hilchot Rechilut chapter nine. [An example would be if a thief would be obligated to repay the victim $100, but Lashon Hara caused him damages of $500.]

this was mostly copied and pasted off of this website https://torah.org/learning/halashon-chapter10/