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

Other Word Forms

• beautifully adverb
• beautifulness noun
• unbeautiful adjective
• unbeautifully adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of beautiful¹

First recorded in 1520–30; beauty + -ful

Example Sentences

“Through all of the devastation, there is something really beautiful about the community coming together to protect this mural, no matter the weather,” said Davida Persaud, chief operating officer of MuralColors, a local art conservator.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"It is a great atmosphere for me to play tennis and a great place for me to close this beautiful season. Tomorrow I will enjoy and try my best to get the best possible result."

Read more on Barron's

Here’s where it gets beautiful: In 1968, the government fired Simons for writing a letter to the New York Times saying the Vietnam War was a bad idea.

Read more on MarketWatch

“We would say, boy, Mormons just make great TV. I don’t know if it’s the air, or maybe the not drinking, but there’s something about Utah that breeds great personalities and beautiful people.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“It was just unbelievably beautiful. I just felt like my heart was full.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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

When To Use

What are other ways to say beautiful?

A person or thing that is beautiful possesses qualities that give great pleasure to see, hear, or think about. When should you use this adjective over handsome, lovely, or pretty? Find out on Thesaurus.com.