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
This handsome all-weather teak cabinet with a white acrylic shell looks sleek and modern in any backyard.
—Sean Evans, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2024
Some fans gushed over how handsome the rapper is while others questioned why the singer has a pattern of dating younger men.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 9 Apr. 2024
The town’s population — just over 8,500 — nearly doubled as star tourists flocked to Hillsboro with its handsome courthouse and enviable location.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2024
Tom is not particularly handsome, clever or well-connected.
—Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Long hours in exchange for a handsome salary is a common trade-off made by those in banking.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune Europe, 6 Apr. 2024
Except George has been blessed with an uncommonly handsome face, an advantage Mary makes sure to fortify with a formal education in France.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
The Kraven the Hunter actor's name is among many criminally handsome thesps allegedly being considered for the role, occupied for the last two decades by Daniel Craig.
—Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 26 Mar. 2024
Her onscreen and real life husband Ryan Piers Williams looked handsome in a classic black tux.
04 of 09
Greta Gerwig
Director Greta Gerwig also got the shimmering memo in this gown that emulated an Oscar statue itself.
—Alexandra Schonfeld, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024
Sean Evans, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2024
Some fans gushed over how handsome the rapper is while others questioned why the singer has a pattern of dating younger men.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 9 Apr. 2024
The town’s population — just over 8,500 — nearly doubled as star tourists flocked to Hillsboro with its handsome courthouse and enviable location.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2024
Tom is not particularly handsome, clever or well-connected.
—Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Long hours in exchange for a handsome salary is a common trade-off made by those in banking.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune Europe, 6 Apr. 2024
Except George has been blessed with an uncommonly handsome face, an advantage Mary makes sure to fortify with a formal education in France.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
The Kraven the Hunter actor's name is among many criminally handsome thesps allegedly being considered for the role, occupied for the last two decades by Daniel Craig.
—Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 26 Mar. 2024
Her onscreen and real life husband Ryan Piers Williams looked handsome in a classic black tux.
04 of 09
Greta Gerwig
Director Greta Gerwig also got the shimmering memo in this gown that emulated an Oscar statue itself.
—Alexandra Schonfeld, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024
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 17 Apr. 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 young lad
handsome old buildings
handsomely
adverb
handsomeness
noun
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