handsome

American  

[han-suhm] / ˈhæn səm /

adjective

handsomer, handsomest

1. having an attractive, well-proportioned, and imposing appearance suggestive of health and strength; good-looking.

   a handsome man;

   a handsome woman.

   Antonyms:

   ugly

2. having pleasing proportions, relationships, or arrangements, as of shapes, forms, or colors; attractive.

   a handsome house;

   a handsome interior.

3. considerable, ample, or liberal in amount.

   a handsome fortune.

   Synonyms:

   munificent, generous, large

   Antonyms:

   scanty, scant, skimpy, meager

4. gracious; generous; flattering.

   a handsome compliment;

   a handsome recommendation.

   Antonyms:

   miserly, stingy, ungenerous

5. adroit and appealing; graceful.

   a handsome speech.

---

handsome British  

/ ˈhændsəm /

adjective

1. (of a man) good-looking, esp in having regular, pleasing, and well-defined features

2. (of a woman) fine-looking in a dignified way

3. well-proportioned, stately, or comely

   a handsome room

4. liberal or ample

   a handsome allowance

5. gracious or generous

   a handsome action

6. pleasant

   handsome weather

---

noun

1. a term of endearment for a beloved person, esp in my handsome

Usage

What are other ways to say handsome?

Someone who is handsome is attractive with a well-proportioned appearance that is suggestive of health and strength. How does handsome compare with lovely, beautiful, and pretty? Learn more on Thesaurus.com. 

Other Word Forms

• handsomeish
  adjective
• handsomely
  adverb
• handsomeness
  noun
• superhandsome
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of handsome

First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English hondsom, handsum “easy to control, handy”; cognate with West Frisian hānsum “easy to control, convenient,” Dutch handzaam “easy to manage”; see hand, -some ¹

Explanation

If your father is described as handsome, it means he is good-looking, attractive in a classically masculine way. If your mother is also called handsome, it means while she's striking, if not exactly pretty. Handsome is always a compliment, an admiring way of describing someone, although it's sometimes used as a way to describe a woman who's not conventionally attractive but is still interesting-looking. You can use it to describe an object as well as a person, in which case you are most likely talking about something that's really well-made, or of an obviously high quality, like a particularly handsome oak dining-room table. Occasionally, people talk about a handsome amount of money or a handsome number of votes; this is a generally admiring way of describing almost anything.

Example Sentences

Nine trustees ran dozens of companies as one, controlling the market from exploration to retail, and paying out handsome dividends.

From Barron's • May 2, 2026

And then there’s Stuf Storage, a start-up that inserts storage spaces into existing, and often very handsome, buildings.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

As a romantic lead, Page could do this blindfolded with one arm tied around his back — he’s just that handsome and smooth.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

“He’s got certain virtues writers maybe aren’t supposed to have — dude is handsome, socially adroit. But he’s also insanely insightful and genuine.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

Her features were classically handsome, the face and height of a goddess—but one carved in marble.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Related Words

• attractive
• beautiful
• clean-cut
• dapper
• elegant
• good-looking
• graceful
• lovely
• personable
• smart
• smooth
• stately
• stylish
• suave