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.

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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

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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

Related Words

• alluring
• appealing
• attractive
• exquisite
• gorgeous
• handsome
• lovely
• magnificent
• pulchritudinous
• ravishing
• stunning