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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.

“The idea of getting in on the ground floor, especially in a beautiful place like Green-Wood, is a little irresistible.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The cliché applied to contralto voices is “plummy” and Heynis offers its reverse, a sort of lean, emotional essentialism in a deep and beautiful voice.

From The Wall Street Journal

Even on the days I most wish to go to Arizona, I’m still amazed by how beautiful this yard is.

From Literature

The plume subsided after its initial eruption, and it was a beautiful day.

From Literature

"It's horrible, it's a nightmare. But coming back here today, I still find it beautiful. It also shows that life goes on," says visitor Shannon Bugnon.

From Barron's

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.