beauty
Americannoun
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the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations (as shape, color, sound, etc.), a meaningful design or pattern, or something else (as a personality in which high spiritual qualities are manifest).
- Synonyms:
- allure, attractiveness, pulchritude
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a beautiful person, especially a woman.
- Synonyms:
- belle
-
treatments and products that enhance a person’s physical attractiveness, or the industry associated with this.
She left her career in business administration to pursue her passion in beauty and wellness.
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a beautiful thing, as a work of art or a building.
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Often beauties. a beautiful feature or trait in nature or in some natural or artificial environment.
the rugged beauties of our seashore and mountains.
-
an individually pleasing or beautiful quality; grace; charm.
a vivid blue area that is the one real beauty of the painting.
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Informal. a particular advantage.
One of the beauties of this medicine is the freedom from aftereffects.
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(often used ironically) someone or something that is extraordinary, remarkable, or amazing; a beaut.
That sunburn is a real beauty!
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something excellent of its kind.
My old car, now she was a beauty.
adjective
noun
-
the combination of all the qualities of a person or thing that delight the senses and please the mind
-
a very attractive and well-formed girl or woman
-
informal an outstanding example of its kind
the horse is a beauty
-
informal an advantageous feature
one beauty of the job is the short hours
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informal a light-hearted and affectionate term of address
hello, my old beauty!
interjection
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of beauty
First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English be(a)ute, from Old French beaute; replacing Middle English bealte, from Old French beltet, from unattested Vulgar Latin bellitāt- (stem of unattested bellitās ), equivalent to Latin bell(us) “fine” + -itāt- noun suffix; see -ity
Explanation
Ah, beauty. Anything that has it pleases the senses, like a delicious scent, a perfect piece of pie, or a gorgeous person walking by. A noun describing an incredibly pleasing or harmonious quality or feature, beauty is hard to describe. Sure, super models and classical paintings exhibit beauty. But so do well designed sports cars and perfectly executed soccer goals. Belle found beauty in the Beast, astrologers find beauty in the stars, and arachnologists find beauty in giant hairy spiders. So that's why many people say that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“The beauty of stress-testing your plan is that you can make a Plan B.”
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
The beauty of these ingredients is that they don’t require the long citrus soak associated with traditional ceviche.
From Salon • Jun. 9, 2026
"It was just what I needed to remind me that there was beauty all around me and lots of wonder in the everyday."
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
Just not the truth and beauty one might expect.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
“Just a conjure trick. You can cast copies at a braid shop or beauty salon. Then Mama trained them. That way my hair is always neat.”
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
