Have you heard people talk about somebody being “well-rounded” in conversation?
Is this one of those phrases that feels hard to understand in English?
Today we’re going to talk about the phrase “well-rounded” and others like it, and how they work in conversation.
You will see how they help to convey variety in a really positive way, and ensure that you can use it to talk with others about this in your conversations.
Get Your Transcripts Today!
Make sure you understand every word you hear on All Ears English.
Bring your English to the advanced level with new vocabulary and natural expressions.
Subscribe and get the transcripts delivered by email.
Learn to speak naturally with the American accent.
Click here to subscribe and save 50%
We have a question from a listener about the phrase “well rounded”, and it’s a good one to check out.
Hello guys,
Thank you very much for all your help! I have been listening for more than a year, and I am so happy that now I can have a conversation with native speakers. I’m no longer afraid to open my mouth. You are the best and you teach me so much!
I still have a lot to improve upon, so I’m wondering if you can help me with a specific question I have. Can you help me to understand the meaning of “well rounded?” I hear it in conversation, and I don’t really understand it that well.
I appreciate all of your effort, and I would be thrilled to get an answer to this question.
Thank you again,
Danutamilitaru
Understanding This Phrase
This is a great question about a phrase that you will likely hear used often in conversations.
So what is well-rounded?
It means that you have a lot of knowledge, skills, and talents in a variety of different areas.
It’s not just about being good at something, but rather being good at many different things.
It’s about being in tune with or good at a variety of different things.
That’s an important point to make here, being well-rounded is all about variety and being good at multiple different things.
You can visualize this if you think of well-rounded in terms of like a circle, rather than a straight line.
You might think of this with a student or a child, who has multiple interests and is good at a variety of different things.
Colleges for example want to see students who are well-rounded, and who have achievements and experience in a variety of different areas.
So you start to see how you can use well-rounded in conversation, and how it can be used to describe a person or a situation.
How Can You Use This In Conversation?
You can think of this in the example of a student applying to college, and the desire for a more well-rounded individual.
This is very important in certain cultures, and it is a strong emphasis when it comes to certain points in your life.
Being well-rounded is a good thing, as it shows that you are more than just one thing.
You focus on different areas, and you recognize the importance of variety in your skills and your expertise.
So how can you use this in conversation?
How can you use well-rounded to describe a variety of different things?
- Well-rounded person: This is somebody who focuses on and is good at a variety of different things. They may be good at specific skills, or they may be somebody who recognizes the importance of variety. In the example of a student, it may be one who gets good grades, who is good at athletics, and who is also talented within music. This variety of skills helps to set them apart from others.
- Well-rounded argument: This is an argument that covers a wide array of different points. Rather than just focusing on one side, it takes multiple points of view into consideration. It means that the argument is well founded and much research has been done. To come up with the point of view that you have, there was a lot of thought put into your stance. You may not agree with this argument, but you can certainly see that it’s well-rounded in its take.
- Well-rounded presentation: This is a presentation that encompasses so many different things. It has a lot of useful information, often above and beyond anything that you might have envisioned. It goes in depth on certain topics, and covers everything above and beyond what you might expect to see in such a presentation.
You can see how you would use well-rounded to describe somebody or a specific situation.
You can start to understand how this is a very positive trait, and how you might want to aspire to this in your life.
Why Is This So Important?
You can begin to understand why being well-rounded is a good thing, and how it can really add value.
So why exactly is it so important to be well-rounded?
Is it better to be the best at one thing, or to be good at a variety of different things?
In the end, you can excel in one area but you may find it useful to be good at a variety of different things.
It shows that you are mindful of the variety of different things and that you are versatile.
When it comes to being well rounded in a situation like an argument or a presentation, it shows that you did your research and you take the other point of view into consideration.
We did an episode about being somebody who is good at a variety of different things, but in this case it wasn’t necessarily a positive thing.
This episode is well worth checking out as it focuses on being a “jack of all trades but master of none” and you can find it at AEE 244: To “Do” or To “Don’t”–That Is The Question!
Being well-rounded is quite different as it says that you have taken the time to really focus on a variety of different areas and dedicate your time to them.
There are instances and experiences in your life where this can be a very positive thing, and so you want to be mindful of that.
You have to really show that effort and focus so that you can enjoy being well-rounded for all that it is.
This can be a good thing in your professional life, as it shows that you are mindful of what really matters.
It can also be good at life experiences, where being well-rounded can be a true benefit.
Other Ways To Say This
There are other ways to say this that you may want to take into consideration.
Though well-rounded works just fine, there are other phrases that you may find useful.
It’s nice to have a couple of different options in discussing this sort of thing, as they can come in handy in conversation.
Here are a couple of different ways to say well-rounded or get that idea across.
- Versatile: This means that you are well versed, which is to say that you have specialties or strengths in multiple areas. It conveys that you are good at a variety of things, just like well-rounded does. It can apply to people or to things that serve different purposes.
- Multitalented: This is exactly what it sounds like, as it means that you have multiple talents. It usually refers to somebody who is talented or exceptional in a variety of different areas. It is a descriptive word that refers to your multiple abilities.
- Well-informed: This is usually best used for an argument. It says that you have done your research and that you have really looked into the issues at hand. It says that you have all of the information at hand, and it shows in the way in which you are presenting it. You can get a good reputation, even in an argument, if you are well informed and mindful of what you are presenting.
- Balanced: You can almost visualize this because it is exactly what you would think of with the word. This means that you are neither one way or the other, but rather balanced somewhere in between. This is a great way to convey that there is thoughtful consideration to all angles or sides.
These are all great options for conveying the same sort of thing in conversation.
If you want to talk about variety in this capacity, then this is the way to do it.
Takeaway
Today we discussed the concept of being well-rounded, and you can see that it’s an important one.
We gave you our thoughts and gave you some other words to use in your conversation to express this idea.
This is an important concept as it helps you to see that variety is important in multiple areas.
You will love the reaction that you get when you use this term and others like it in conversation.
If you have any questions, please leave them below in the comments section.
We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
