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Synonyms

beautiful

American  
[byoo-tuh-fuhl] / ˈbyu tə fəl /

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 British  
/ ˈbjuːtɪfʊl /

adjective

  1. possessing beauty; aesthetically pleasing

  2. highly enjoyable; very pleasant

    the party was beautiful
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

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. 

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of beautiful

First recorded in 1520–30; beauty + -ful

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.

“It’s beautiful basketball,” said Hassan Diarra, a guard on Hurley’s back-to-back champions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

"We are getting a beautiful view of the dark side of the Earth, lit by the Moon," he said.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

Trump expressed his thanks in a post on his Truth social media platform, saying, "when completed, it will be the greatest and most beautiful ballroom of its kind anywhere in the world."

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

“Jessie Jones was a beautiful, hilarious and strong Texas woman with personality plus,” Wooten said Wednesday in a statement to People.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

A burrow was situated in a beautiful meadow recently released from its snow covering.

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el

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.