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a beautiful day
a perfect day
a gorgeous day
a nice day
a pretty day
beautiful music
elegant music
pleasant music
pretty music
lovely music
wonderful music
beautiful eyes
amazing eyes
pretty eyes
beautiful scenery
picturesque scenery
pristine scenery
spectacular scenery
breathtaking scenery
exquisite scenery
a beautiful baby
an adorable baby
a cute baby
a precious baby
a lovely baby
a gorgeous baby

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 Their attention to detail and commitment to quality create not only beautiful houses—but a lasting sense of community and trust. Prime Development, Kansas City Star, 20 July 2025 Southwest Side residents choose to remain living in a slice of the suburban lifestyle within the confines of our beautiful city. Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2025 Soon, his mother, who was always beautiful, started looking frail, feeling sick. John J. Lennon, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2025 Jinkx had a beautiful showing in a season where the queens all got to just show their best every week. EW.com, 9 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for beautiful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beautiful
Adjective
  • Playful and complex, just a lovely wine to enjoy with friends.
    Katie Kelly Bell, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
  • This week’s picks include a Park Slope two-bedroom with a pair of wood-burning fireplaces and a one-bedroom on Clinton Hill’s historic mansion row with a lovely triple-bay window.
    Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 22 July 2025
Adjective
  • Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret.
    Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 26 July 2025
  • Brad Schmitt Hey there, new neighbors, and welcome back to our intro to Nashville and all the wonderful things the city has to offer you.
    Brad Schmitt, The Tennessean, 26 July 2025
Adjective
  • Charbroiled Island Creek Oysters At Walrus Rodeo in Miami, this gorgeous dish is made with jalapeño, Franciacorta, and breadcrumbs.
    Aly Walansky, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
  • The gorgeous blooms and lush landscaping are more than worth the quick commute.
    Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 29 July 2025
Adjective
  • Aloe vera is low-maintenance, making the houseplant an excellent option for beginner houseplant owners, who don’t have much time for excessive plant care.
    Michelle Mastro, Architectural Digest, 23 July 2025
  • One of the best examples is her novel Made for Love, perhaps better known as an HBO show starring the excellent Cristin Milioti.
    The Atlantic Culture Desk, The Atlantic, 23 July 2025
Adjective
  • The moment in which Guy and Nan reunite at the courthouse and mirror each other on a staircase and over a railing, respectively, is reminiscent of their meet cute in Season 1.
    Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 30 July 2025
  • Make lunchtime fun again with the help of a cute and colorful bento box or a fun, interactive lunch box.
    Nora Colomer may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom., FOXNews.com, 30 July 2025
Adjective
  • This list features seven awesome movies on Netflix that aren’t super popular.
    Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 26 July 2025
  • The entire cast plus a bunch of cameos were awesome.
    James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025
Adjective
  • The décor is handsome, comfortably restrained and acoustically satisfying.
    Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
  • For action movie enthusiasts, the attraction of James Bond films is the archetypal handsome hero battling villains and restoring justice.
    Sophie Friedman, AFAR Media, 29 July 2025
Adjective
  • The actors are so terrific and their chemistry so palpable that the hangout scenes in their fabulous Baxter Building penthouse — with a domestic droid that’s like Rosie the Robot from The Jetsons meets Number 5 from John Badham’s Short Circuit — are some of the movie’s most appealing interludes.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2025
  • For a more casual option, Big Wesser Riverside Pub is a fabulous stop to satiate your appetite after—or during—an adventure-centric day.
    Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 22 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Beautiful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beautiful. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on beautiful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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