handsome
adjective
hand·some
ˈhan(t)-səm 
handsomer; handsomest
1
: having a pleasing and usually impressive or dignified appearance
2
: moderately large : sizable
a painting that commanded a handsome price
3
: marked by skill or cleverness : adroit
4
: marked by graciousness or generosity : liberal
handsome contributions to charity
5
chiefly dialectal
: appropriate, suitable
handsomely
adverb
handsomeness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of handsome in a Sentence
He was a handsome man, in a big-screen way, with the deep-set eyes and boyish smile and even the lumpy, interesting complexion of a Harrison Ford or a Robert Redford.
—
Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 10 May 2004
An Alexandrian statue of a ruggedly handsome man with gaunt features like Caesar's exploits the translucent glow of large-grained marble from the distant Greek island of Thasos, combining Roman attention to the texture of aging skin with the abstract elegance of Egyptian-style almond eyes and chiseled cheekbones.
—Ingrid D. Rowland, New Republic, 1 & 8 Apr. 2002
The Galaxy's first stop, St. Lucia's capital city of Castries, has been destroyed by so many fires that travel writers dismiss it as holding little interest. There I came upon a handsome three-story brick building that had clearly withstood the city's century of conflagrations. It was, of all things, a Carnegie Library, built by that American millionaire's beneficence in 1916.
—Carla Davidson, American Heritage, November 1999
With bonds and utility stocks under seige, many people who depend on these traditional income investments are taking a new look at real estate investment trusts. What they're finding is that "REITs" generate handsome dividend yields of 6% or more while offering the possibility of capital gains. That's not bad at a time when 10-year Treasury notes, which currently yield about 7%, come with the worry that rising interest rates will cause their value to plummet.
—Lynn Asinof, Wall Street Journal, 3 June 1994
It was a handsome house situated on a large lot.
The book includes many handsome illustrations.
I predict that someone tall, dark, and handsome is going to come into your life.
He inherited a handsome fortune.
He made a handsome profit on the sale of the house.
The book is a handsome tribute to a great poet.
Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 10 May 2004
An Alexandrian statue of a ruggedly handsome man with gaunt features like Caesar's exploits the translucent glow of large-grained marble from the distant Greek island of Thasos, combining Roman attention to the texture of aging skin with the abstract elegance of Egyptian-style almond eyes and chiseled cheekbones.
—Ingrid D. Rowland, New Republic, 1 & 8 Apr. 2002
The Galaxy's first stop, St. Lucia's capital city of Castries, has been destroyed by so many fires that travel writers dismiss it as holding little interest. There I came upon a handsome three-story brick building that had clearly withstood the city's century of conflagrations. It was, of all things, a Carnegie Library, built by that American millionaire's beneficence in 1916.
—Carla Davidson, American Heritage, November 1999
With bonds and utility stocks under seige, many people who depend on these traditional income investments are taking a new look at real estate investment trusts. What they're finding is that "REITs" generate handsome dividend yields of 6% or more while offering the possibility of capital gains. That's not bad at a time when 10-year Treasury notes, which currently yield about 7%, come with the worry that rising interest rates will cause their value to plummet.
—Lynn Asinof, Wall Street Journal, 3 June 1994
It was a handsome house situated on a large lot.
The book includes many handsome illustrations.
I predict that someone tall, dark, and handsome is going to come into your life.
He inherited a handsome fortune.
He made a handsome profit on the sale of the house.
The book is a handsome tribute to a great poet.
Recent Examples on the Web
Some argue Leonardo DiCaprio wasn’t handsome enough to play Jim in the movie.
—Henry Everingham, SPIN, 17 Oct. 2024
Bernal has really stepped into his gray fox era, using his (extremely handsome) looks to lean into the vexation of his character’s age and past.
—Nicole Froio, refinery29.com, 15 Oct. 2024
Andrew Pearce Handcrafted Willoughby Salad Bowl What better way to encourage a loved one to eat—and enjoy—their greens than with a handcrafted black walnut wood salad bowl that doubles as a handsome centerpiece?
—Zoe Ruffner, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2024
He was supposed to be small, dark-haired, handsome in a delicate way, no visible threat to anybody.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for handsome 
Henry Everingham, SPIN, 17 Oct. 2024
Bernal has really stepped into his gray fox era, using his (extremely handsome) looks to lean into the vexation of his character’s age and past.
—Nicole Froio, refinery29.com, 15 Oct. 2024
Andrew Pearce Handcrafted Willoughby Salad Bowl What better way to encourage a loved one to eat—and enjoy—their greens than with a handcrafted black walnut wood salad bowl that doubles as a handsome centerpiece?
—Zoe Ruffner, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2024
He was supposed to be small, dark-haired, handsome in a delicate way, no visible threat to anybody.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for handsome
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'handsome.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near handsome
Cite this Entry
“Handsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/handsome. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
handsome
adjective
hand·some
ˈhan(t)-səm
1
: fairly large : sizable
a handsome fortune
2
: marked by generosity or graciousness
a handsome contribution
3
: having a pleasing and usually impressive or dignified appearance
a handsome man
handsome old buildings
handsomely
adverb
handsomeness
noun
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