beautiful

[ byoo-tuh-fuhl ]

adjective

1. having beauty; possessing qualities that give great pleasure or satisfaction to see, hear, think about, etc.; delighting the senses or mind:

   a beautiful dress;

   a beautiful speech.

   Synonyms: beauteous, fair, attractive, seemly, comely

   Antonyms: ugly

2. excellent of its kind:

   a beautiful putt on the seventh hole; The chef served us a beautiful roast of beef.

3. wonderful; very pleasing or satisfying.

noun

1. the beautiful,
   1. the concept of beauty.
   2. (used with a plural verb) beautiful things or people collectively:

      the good and the beautiful.

   3. the ideal of beauty:

      to strive to attain the beautiful.

interjection

1. wonderful; fantastic:

   You got two front-row seats? Beautiful!

2. extraordinary; incredible: used ironically:

   Your car broke down in the middle of the freeway? Beautiful!

beautiful

/ ˈbjuːtɪfʊl /

adjective

1. possessing beauty; aesthetically pleasing
2. highly enjoyable; very pleasant

   the party was beautiful

Derived Forms

• ˈbeautifulness, noun

Other Words From

• beauti·ful·ly adverb
• beauti·ful·ness noun
• un·beauti·ful adjective
• un·beauti·ful·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of beautiful¹

First recorded in 1520–30; beauty + -ful

Example Sentences

Its graceful hotels and beautiful restaurants are totally dependent on the tourist trade.

From The Daily Beast

Chen bowed her head during the playing of “America the Beautiful.”

From The Daily Beast

There was something beautiful about this, and I still see that beauty.

From The Daily Beast

Here is where the biking becomes the most beautiful — and increasingly challenging.

From The Daily Beast

In this world of ours, some melodies are just more beautiful than others.

From The Daily Beast

Among the Perpendicular additions to the church last named may be noted a very beautiful oaken rood-screen.

From Project Gutenberg

One would not have wanted her white neck a mite less full or her beautiful arms more slender.

From Project Gutenberg

It was like his beautiful courtesy to call me in and introduce me to Blow instead of letting me go away.

From Project Gutenberg

Not a few of these are extremely beautiful, and are well worth growing on this account, quite apart from their peculiarity.

From Project Gutenberg

Yet he realized that Mrs. Chepstow was looking less faded, younger, more beautiful than when last he had been with her.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• alluring
• appealing
• attractive
• exquisite
• gorgeous
• handsome
• lovely
• magnificent
• pulchritudinous
• ravishing
• stunning