beautiful
adjective
Did you know?
Can beautiful be used to describe a man?
Our evidence shows that when beautiful is used to describe physical beauty, it is overwhelming used of women or a physical aspect of a woman (such as her hair or skin). This hasn't always been the case: when beautiful first came into English it was used as easily of men as it was of women. Nowadays, handsome is the adjective of appreciation most commonly used of men.
The plural noun phrase beautiful people doesn't refer to the overall looks of the people mentioned, but rather the elegance and sumptuousness of their lives.
Synonyms
- aesthetic
- esthetic
- aesthetical
- esthetical
- attractive
- beauteous
- bonny [chiefly British]
- bonnie
- comely
- cute
- drop-dead
- fair
- fetching
- good
- good-looking
- goodly
- gorgeous
- handsome
- knockout
- likely
- lovely
- lovesome
- pretty
- ravishing
- seemly
- sightly
- stunning
- taking
- well-favored
Example Sentences
Tim Fish, Wine Spectator, 15 Nov. 2008 In her biography of Monroe, Churchwell takes to task the relentless mythomania of her admirers and critics, who are equally invested in nurturing the legend of a hapless beautiful woman consumed by her desire for celebrity and love. Lakshmi Chaudhry, Nation, 27 Aug.-3 Sept. 2007 In the hothouse of today's celebrity monoculture, the result has been the perfection of the kind of profile in which athletes and actors struggle to overcome … absence or presence in their lives of money, fame, sex and drugs. Especially so in the upscale slicks, where these stories of the rich and beautiful emerge so flat and lifeless that no one in them casts a shadow. Jeff MacGregor, New York Times Book Review, 21 Aug. 2005 You have the most beautiful smile. The film tells a beautiful story about two young lovers. Our hotel room had a beautiful view of the ocean. The sunsets here are absolutely beautiful. What a beautiful day for a picnic! This is a beautiful example of early American poetry. See More Orlando Higginbottom, Billboard, 14 Sep. 2022 Someone fat like me, Black like me, beautiful like me. Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2022 Someone fat like me, Black like me, beautiful like me. Alyssa Bailey, ELLE, 13 Sep. 2022 Someone fat like me, Black like me, beautiful like me. Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2022 The speech was beautiful, but largely focused on his relationship with me. Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2022 There are books that are horrendous to read but remain beautiful things. David Marchese, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2022 Seeing myself be truly me and not hiding was beautiful. Good Housekeeping, 6 Sep. 2022 Hikes and walks and wandering around in nature centers are fun in fall because the humidity and mosquito levels are down, and, of course, the fall leaves are beautiful. Amy Schwabe, Journal Sentinel, 1 Sep. 2022 See More Word History
Middle English bewteful, beautefull, from beaute beauty + -ful, -full -ful entry 1
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing beautiful
Kids Definition
beautiful
adjective
beautiful
adjective
Synonyms & Similar Words
- lovely
- gorgeous
- cute
- handsome
- attractive
- pretty
- stunning
- charming
- good
- elegant
- delightful
- glorious
- magnificent
- ravishing
- beauteous
- perfect
- sexy
- fascinating
- likely
- flawless
- aesthetic
- exquisite
- comely
- goodly
- superb
- taking
- pleasant
- fair
- hot
- knockout
- good-looking
- fetching
- seemly
- desirable
- bonny
- sightly
- splendid
- lovesome
- alluring
- drop-dead
- delicate
- glamorous
- appealing
- well-favored
- sublime
- resplendent
- radiant
- aesthetical
- esthetic
- engaging
- esthetical
- bonnie
- statuesque
- seductive
- cunning
- luscious
- prepossessing
- glamourous
- dainty
- personable
- striking
- presentable
- glossy
- showy
- photogenic
- foxy
- snazzy
- flamboyant
- toothsome
- flashy
- slick
- arresting
- nubile
- prettyish
- hunky
- Junoesque
- pulchritudinous
- splashy
- eye-catching
- dollish
- dishy
- studly
- chocolate-box
- telegenic
- zingy
- showstopping
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- ugly
- hideous
- unattractive
- unbeautiful
- grotesque
- homely
- plain
- unlovely
- terrible
- horrible
- unhandsome
- bad
- disgusting
- dreadful
- unsightly
- ghastly
- frightful
- loathsome
- repulsive
- shocking
- vile
- abominable
- revolting
- disagreeable
- abhorrent
- unpleasing
- unaesthetic
- sickening
- repugnant
- uncomely
- nasty
- offensive
- objectionable
- unpretty
- unpleasant
- uncute
- repellent
- foul
- nauseating
- unappealing
- ill-favored
- unprepossessing
- unappetizing
- repellant
- unimposing
- unshapely
- frumpy
- unbecoming
- frumpish
Synonyms & Similar Words
- wonderful
- lovely
- excellent
- awesome
- fabulous
- great
- fantastic
- terrific
- superb
- marvelous
- stellar
- fine
- hot
- marvellous
- neat
- prime
- famous
- cool
- quality
- heavenly
- classic
- splendid
- divine
- brave
- sensational
- fab
- exceptional
- good
- slick
- noble
- grand
- superior
- superlative
- groovy
- top
- immense
- choice
- peachy
- nifty
- capital
- sterling
- dandy
- par excellence
- prize
- dynamite
- unsurpassed
- cracking
- banner
- fantabulous
- swell
- decent
- too much
- topping
- bonny
- mean
- supernal
- radical
- primo
- righteous
- keen
- brag
- prizewinning
- dope
- better
- special
- frontline
- crackerjack
- bumper
- high-class
- top-notch
- topflight
- peachy keen
- gangbusters
- number one
- wizard
- corking
- bully
- gone
- first-rate
- hype
- first-class
- boss
- boffo
- down
- phat
- top-of-the-line
- adequate
- gangbuster
- acceptable
- numero uno
- out-of-sight
- top-shelf
- tip-top
- traditional
- gilt-edge
- classical
- satisfactory
- bonnie
- gilt-edged
- five-star
- out of this world
- jim-dandy
- bang-up
- blue-chip
- four-star
- fancy
- blue-ribbon
- No. 1
- A-OK
- premium
- all right
- tolerable
- passable
- first-string
- A1
- superfine
- select
- standard
- okay
- high-grade
- OK
- high-test
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- poor
- terrible
- awful
- pathetic
- vile
- atrocious
- wretched
- lousy
- rotten
- bad
- execrable
- unsatisfactory
- inferior
- substandard
- mediocre
- middling
- low-grade
- second-rate
- second-class
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of beautiful are comely, fair, handsome, lovely, and pretty. While all these words mean "exciting sensuous or aesthetic pleasure," beautiful applies to whatever excites the keenest of pleasure to the senses and stirs emotion through the senses.
Comely is like handsome in suggesting what is coolly approved rather than emotionally responded to.
The words fair and beautiful are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, fair suggests beauty because of purity, flawlessness, or freshness.
While in some cases nearly identical to beautiful, handsome suggests aesthetic pleasure due to proportion, symmetry, or elegance.
Lovely is close to beautiful but applies to a narrower range of emotional excitation in suggesting the graceful, delicate, or exquisite.
The words pretty and beautiful can be used in similar contexts, but pretty often applies to superficial or insubstantial attractiveness.