statuesque

American  

[stach-oo-esk] / ˌstætʃ uˈɛsk /

adjective

1. like or suggesting a statue, as in massive or majestic dignity, grace, or beauty.

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statuesque British  

/ ˌstætjʊˈɛsk /

adjective

1. like a statue, esp in possessing great formal beauty or dignity

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Other Word Forms

• statuesquely
  adverb
• statuesqueness
  noun
• unstatuesque
  adjective
• unstatuesquely
  adverb
• unstatuesqueness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of statuesque

First recorded in 1825–35; statue + -esque

Explanation

If your favorite teacher is as beautiful and impressive as a statue in a museum, go ahead and describe him or her as statuesque. Statuesque means "like a statue," in the sense that someone is dignified, good looking, and maybe a little intimidating. It's an adjective that is almost always used to describe a tall woman, and while it's a compliment, it can sometimes be interpreted as meaning simply "big and tall." The Latin root means "statue," statua, and it in turn comes from stare, "to stand."

Example Sentences

Eden Bower, a statuesque young woman, aspires to stardom on the stage; her real name is Edna Bowers—“her father sold farming machinery in Huntington, Illinois.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

Once again, it was weakness at set-pieces that proved fatal for West Ham as Dominguez met Elliot Anderson's corner with a looping header that dropped into the far corner while the Hammers defence stood statuesque.

From Barron's • Jan. 6, 2026

Hardest look Blount: Building some of the more statuesque wigs with cages and creating hair origami to add to them.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 5, 2025

Worse was to come two minutes later when Lisandro Martinez's routine long ball caught City's defence inexplicably statuesque.

From BBC • Dec. 15, 2024

I’d always thought she was statuesque goddess height, at least five ten, but she was more like five five.

From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin