beautiful
adjective
beau·ti·ful ˈbyü-ti-fəl 
1
: having qualities of beauty : exciting aesthetic pleasure
2
: generally pleasing : excellent
beautifulness
ˈbyü-ti-fəl-nəs
noun 
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
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Located on one of the most beautiful and untouched coastlines in America, this recreational area has much to offer. You can hike on rocky headlands that rise dramatically from the Pacific Ocean, ride horses or bikes along scenic trails, walk along the many beaches, kayak on pristine Tomales Bay, or spy the abundance of native flowers and wildlife, including elephant seals and tule elk. 
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
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 Recent Examples on the Web For example, seeing something grow on Shazam is beautiful, a Spotify play count is a live audit of how much money your music is generating, a radio play tracker can show you where the support is. 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
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
Etymology
Middle English bewteful, beautefull, from beaute beauty + -ful, -full -ful entry 1
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing beautiful
Kids Definition
beautiful
adjective
beau·ti·ful ˈbyü-ti-fəl
1
: having qualities of beauty : giving pleasure to the mind or senses
a beautiful child
a beautiful song
2
: very good : excellent
beautiful weather
beautifulness
noun
as in beauty
the qualities in a person or thing that as a whole give pleasure to the senses many are filled with a sense of awe when taking in the beautifulness of the canyon Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- beauty
- loveliness
- attractiveness
- gorgeousness
- prettiness
- elegance
- looks
- beauteousness
- cuteness
- aesthetics
- handsomeness
- delightfulness
- comeliness
- fairness
- attraction
- exquisiteness
- sightliness
- gloriousness
- charm
- appeal
- esthetics
- fascination
- lusciousness
- sublimeness
- resplendence
- glamour
- splendidness
- sublimity
- radiancy
- sexiness
- allure
- radiance
- shapeliness
- desirability
- seductiveness
- flawlessness
- desirableness
- pulchritude
- perfection
- resplendency
- glamor
- superbness
- daintiness
- sex appeal
- nubility
- splendiferousness
- glossiness
- flamboyance
- foxiness
- flashiness
- slickness
- showiness
- delicacy
- splashiness
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- ugliness
- hideousness
- unattractiveness
- homeliness
- plainness
- grotesqueness
- unloveliness
- unsightliness
- vileness
- dreadfulness
- repulsiveness
- foulness
- ghastliness
- offensiveness
- terribleness
- imperfection
- loathsomeness
- horribleness
- disagreeableness
- nastiness
- flaw
- repellency
- unbecomingness
- blemish