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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective beautiful differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of beautiful are comely, fair, handsome, lovely, and pretty. While all these words mean "exciting sensuous or aesthetic pleasure," beautiful applies to whatever excites the keenest of pleasure to the senses and stirs emotion through the senses.

beautiful mountain scenery

How are the words comely and handsome related as synonyms of beautiful?

Comely is like handsome in suggesting what is coolly approved rather than emotionally responded to.

the comely grace of a dancer

When can fair be used instead of beautiful?

The words fair and beautiful are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, fair suggests beauty because of purity, flawlessness, or freshness.

fair of face

When could handsome be used to replace beautiful?

While in some cases nearly identical to beautiful, handsome suggests aesthetic pleasure due to proportion, symmetry, or elegance.

a handsome Georgian mansion

How do lovely and beautiful relate to one another?

Lovely is close to beautiful but applies to a narrower range of emotional excitation in suggesting the graceful, delicate, or exquisite.

a lovely melody

In what contexts can pretty take the place of beautiful?

The words pretty and beautiful can be used in similar contexts, but pretty often applies to superficial or insubstantial attractiveness.

a painter of conventionally pretty scenes

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of beautiful The two recall ignoring all the beautiful landscapes and wild buffalo out the window the entire time, hunkering down in their notebook to write the song. Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2025 Blessings to the beautiful bride. Michael Nied, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025 Shaved Snow with Fresh Mango is a delight for the senses — cool and fresh, beautiful to look at and the perfect way to end a meal on a summery San Diego day. Lois Alter Mark, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025 Hotel Gunter Located in the historic heart of Frostburg, the 12-room Hotel Gunter is a charming destination for anyone seeking a beautiful and memorable spot to stay. Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 2 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for beautiful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beautiful
Adjective
  • People want to include crape myrtles and roses-of-Sharon as their privacy plants, for example, and both of those, while lovely in summer, would be bare and drab in the winter.
    Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025
  • It’s been really lovely, also exhausting.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • But if Julia’s delivery of her first child is about as wonderful as pushing a human out of your body can get — even the lighting is dreamy — her second child’s delivery is the exact opposite.
    Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Morticia has this wonderful lighter look into the world as opposed to Wednesday.
    Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • These gorgeous gourds can stay out all season long without decaying.
    Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 2025
  • The 185-acre grounds of Rocky Knob Mountain Bike Park contain five main trails of various lengths and difficulty levels plus four separate skills areas, not to mention gorgeous vistas.
    Sheri Castle, Southern Living, 31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • But on a day when Mizzou amassed 595 total yards, converted 4 of 5 fourth downs and got an excellent effort from first-year starting quarterback Beau Pribula, surrendering possession had to fill Kansas followers with a sense of dread.
    Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 7 Sep. 2025
  • The openings can keep your feet cool or give you an excellent way to show off some eye-catching socks once the weather get cooler.
    Isis Briones, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Ofeefan Long-Sleeve A-Line Ribbed-Knit Mini Dress This mini sweater dress would look cute with a cropped leather jacket and coordinating knee-high boots.
    Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Ouligay Period Bag My teen and her friends always make sure to keep their period stashes organized in one cute pouch like this black one.
    Jacquelyn Smith, Parents, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • And that in turn could help protect hardware like satellites and people like astronauts from these dangerous but awesome eruptions.
    Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 5 Sep. 2025
  • The cameras in smartphones these days are nothing short of awesome.
    Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Radcliffe is Newland Archer, a handsome, progressive, and intelligent society gentleman who craves a deeper and more passionate connection to the world and someone in it.
    Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Fulfill a procreation contract with a handsome member of the ruling class or join a magnetically attractive outcast in a brewing rebellion.
    Lizz Schumer, People.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Gardner has spent the summer in Kansas City, filming an independent movie in Belton, Missouri, and celebrating her birthday with one of her fabulous signature parties, this year with help from Kansas City Ballet dancers.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2025
  • This fabulous space turns the building’s core into an improbable garden.
    Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Beautiful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beautiful. Accessed 7 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on beautiful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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