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

Statuesque and self-possessed, her blue-green eyes seeming to lock in with the camera as she speaks, Dixon makes for a compelling and credible protagonist.

From Washington Post • May 27, 2020

Statuesque, handsome, from privileged backgrounds and impeccably credentialed, they have no log-cabin stories to humanize and ground them.

From Slate • Feb. 1, 2012

Statuesque, poised and intelligent, the 26-year-old looks more Westport, Conn., than West Village.

From New York Times • Mar. 9, 2011

Statuesque with blond hair and coral-pink flounced gown, she looks part Pompadour, part Princess Grace, which gives you an idea of the production's visual eclecticism.

From The Guardian • Sep. 25, 2010

Statuesque young men dressed in white led them through the crowd and onto open-top, mud-colored military buses flying American flags.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown