Strong pleasure in appearance, sound, thought, action, or feeling, with formal use for the ideal of beauty and conversational use as a warm or ironic response.
The exhibition asks how different cultures define the beautiful.
The train is delayed again? Beautiful.
For the artist, the beautiful was never separate from ordinary life.
The chef served a beautiful roast with crisp potatoes.
Her argument had a beautiful simplicity.
Similar words
brilliant
attractive
stunning
exquisite
excellent
lovely
pretty
aesthetic ideal
wonderful
great
Meanings
Very pleasing or attractive
adjective
everyday
neutral
Pleasing the eye, ear, mind, or feelings in a strong and often graceful way.
Examples
The lake looked beautiful at sunrise.
She wore a beautiful blue dress to the ceremony.
The orchestra played a beautiful melody.
That was a beautiful explanation of a difficult idea.
They found a beautiful little village beyond the hills.
Similar words
lovely
gorgeous
attractive
pretty
handsome
exquisite
stunning
Excellent or deeply satisfying
adjective
everyday
informal
Very good, skillful, kind, enjoyable, or satisfying, especially when admiration is part of the feeling.
Examples
The midfielder made a beautiful pass through the defence.
It was a beautiful thing to do for a stranger.
The chef served a beautiful roast with crisp potatoes.
Her argument had a beautiful simplicity.
The team produced a beautiful piece of engineering.
Similar words
excellent
wonderful
superb
brilliant
splendid
fine
The ideal of beauty
noun
philosophy
formal
With the, beauty understood as an ideal, a concept, or beautiful people and things considered together.
Examples
The philosopher wrote about truth, goodness, and the beautiful.
The exhibition asks how different cultures define the beautiful.
Her essays treat the beautiful as a moral and emotional force.
The poem turns from grief toward the beautiful.
For the artist, the beautiful was never separate from ordinary life.
Similar words
beauty
ideal
aesthetic ideal
loveliness
Expression of approval
interjection
conversation
informal
Used to show delight, approval, or satisfaction, sometimes ironically when something has gone wrong.
Examples
Beautiful! That is exactly what we needed.
You found the missing file? Beautiful.
Beautiful, now we can start the show.
The train is delayed again? Beautiful.
Beautiful shot, right into the corner.
Similar words
great
excellent
wonderful
fantastic
brilliant
Etymology
From Middle English bewteful and beautefull, built from beauty plus -ful. The noun use for what possesses beauty is later and usually appears as the beautiful.
FAQ
What does beautiful mean?
Beautiful means strongly pleasing or attractive to the eye, ear, mind, or feelings.
Can beautiful mean excellent?
Yes. Beautiful can praise something skillful, kind, satisfying, or very well done, as in a beautiful pass.
Is beautiful a noun?
Beautiful is mainly an adjective, but the beautiful can mean the ideal or concept of beauty in formal writing.
Is beautiful an adverb?
No. The adverb is beautifully, as in She sings beautifully.
What are the comparative and superlative forms of beautiful?
Use more beautiful and most beautiful, not beautifuller or beautifullest.
Can beautiful be used for men?
Yes, but handsome is more common for a man's appearance, while beautiful often sounds more intense or poetic.
What does Beautiful! mean by itself?
Beautiful! can show approval or delight, and it can also be ironic when something has gone badly.
Where does beautiful come from?
Beautiful comes from Middle English forms built from beauty plus -ful.
Comments & contributions
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