First Known Use: 15th century
Dictionary
beautiful
adjective beau·ti·ful \ˈbyü-ti-fəl\
Definition of BEAUTIFUL
2
: generally pleasing : excellent
— beau·ti·ful·ly \-f(ə-)lē\ adverb
— beau·ti·ful·ness \-fəl-nəs\ noun
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Examples of BEAUTIFUL
- 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
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Origin of BEAUTIFUL
(see beauty)
Related to BEAUTIFUL
- Synonyms
- aesthetic (also esthetic or aesthetical or esthetical), attractive, beauteous, bonny (also bonnie) [chiefly British], comely, cute, drop-dead, fair, fetching, good, good-looking, goodly, gorgeous, handsome, knockout, likely, lovely, lovesome, pretty, ravishing, seemly, sightly, stunning, taking, well-favored
- Antonyms
- grotesque, hideous, homely, ill-favored, plain, ugly, unaesthetic, unattractive, unbeautiful, uncomely, uncute, unhandsome, unlovely, unpleasing, unpretty, unsightly
Synonym Discussion of BEAUTIFUL
beautiful, lovely, handsome, pretty, comely, fair mean exciting sensuous or aesthetic pleasure. beautiful applies to whatever excites the keenest of pleasure to the senses and stirs emotion through the senses <beautiful mountain scenery>. lovely is close to beautiful but applies to a narrower range of emotional excitation in suggesting the graceful, delicate, or exquisite <a lovely melody>. handsome suggests aesthetic pleasure due to proportion, symmetry, or elegance <a handsome Georgian mansion>. pretty often applies to superficial or insubstantial attractiveness <a painter of conventionally pretty scenes>. comely is like handsome in suggesting what is coolly approved rather than emotionally responded to <the comely grace of a dancer>. fair suggests beauty because of purity, flawlessness, or freshness <fair of face>.
BEAUTIFULLY Defined for Kids
beautiful
adjective beau·ti·ful \ˈbyü-ti-fəl\
Definition of BEAUTIFUL for Kids
1
: having qualities of beauty : giving pleasure to the mind or senses <a beautiful child> <a beautiful song>
Synonym Discussion of BEAUTIFUL
beautiful, pretty, and handsome mean pleasing or delightful in some way. beautiful is used of whatever is most pleasing to the senses or the mind. <We saw a beautiful sunset.> <It was a beautiful story about faith.> pretty is usually used of something that is small or dainty. <She held a pretty little doll.> handsome is used of something that is well formed and therefore pleasing to look at. <The mayor sat at a handsome desk.>
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