beauty

noun

beau·ty ˈbyü-tē

plural beauties

Synonyms of beauty next

: the quality or group of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or the mind : loveliness

exploring the natural beauty of the island

A thing of beauty is a joy forever …—

John Keats

Buddhism has taught me that inner beauty, the beauty that comes from loving and accepting yourself, imperfections and all, radiates to the outside.—

Tina Turner, quoted at nbcnews.com

often, specifically : the quality of being physically attractive

… she relies on a minimalist makeup routine to enhance her natural beauty. —

Kiana Murden

… knows how to move, which is surprising given his muscled bulk, and is at ease with his beauty. —

Manohla Dargis

—often used before another noun

beauty products

the beauty industry

my morning beauty routine

Our culture's beauty standards and stereotypes are not going to disappear overnight, but we have made some progress. —

Allie Bloom

: a person (especially a woman) who is beautiful

The brunette beauty added a pair of … sky-high platform heels … to complete her camera-ready look.—

Isabelle Casey

: something that is beautiful or excellent

That's a beauty of a car.

went fishing and caught a couple of beauties

Our favorite apple tree … is a real beauty. Standing over 20 feet tall, it produces buckets and buckets of apples.—

Steve McBride

—often used ironically

That mistake was a beauty!

: an excellent or appealing quality

"… If you hate it—just paint over it. That's the beauty of working with paint."—

Annie Sloan, quoted at theguardian.com (London)

One of the beauties of cast iron cookware is that it can be used almost anywhere.—

Lily Alig

physics : bottom sense 9

Examples of beauty in a Sentence

We explored the natural beauty of the island. I'm learning to appreciate the beauty of poetry. We explored the natural beauties of the island. She was one of the great beauties of her time.

Recent Examples on the Web Unlike niche categories like beauty gifts or presents for pet lovers, tech spans far and wide. —

Brigitt Earley, Glamour, 14 Sep. 2023 As a model, Madeline Ford used to always wear her nails bare to be flexible for castings but has now embraced more creativity in her beauty look. —

Shelby Wax, Allure, 14 Sep. 2023 From Afros and no-makeup makeup looks, to cornrows and glowing skin, see 17 of the best street style beauty looks from the NYFW SS24 season. —

India Espy-Jones, Essence, 14 Sep. 2023 Considering you’re surrounded by natural beauty—rolling vineyards, blooming olive trees, and the Mayacamas Mountains—the emphasis is really on the outdoors. —

Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 14 Sep. 2023 The effect was transformative: Under a roof, the collection became a steamy testament to the beauty of juxtaposition. —

Bethany Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2023 When Andrews spotted the image, she was stunned by its beauty. —

Kate Tuttle, Peoplemag, 13 Sep. 2023 Why Trust Verywell Health Daley Quinn is a freelance journalist, specializing in beauty and health, who has contributed to numerous publications, such as Elle, Real Simple, Allure, The Cut, WWD, and more. —

Daley Quinn, Verywell Health, 13 Sep. 2023 Marc Jacobs has found inspiration in artificial intelligence for his fall 2023 campaign, fronted by beauty chameleon Bella Hadid. —

Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 13 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'beauty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English beaute, bealte, borrowed from Anglo-French, from bel, beau "beautiful, good-looking" (going back to Latin bellus) + -te -ty — more at beau

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of beauty was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century