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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 For classical music performances, behind the stage is this beautiful, 30 foot wide pipe organ, which was very cool, but the feature was really distracting. Leia Mendoza, Variety, 14 Aug. 2025 First crushes, first loves, the beautiful days of summer, and heartbreak are what made this book an instant hit with teens. Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 14 Aug. 2025 Our top picks: The professional-grade pan is crafted from sturdy aluminized steel that conducts heat evenly for beautiful browning, and its narrow shape and high sides produced a perfect rise in our tests. Mark Marino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Aug. 2025 Here are a few of the most beautiful — and most visited — national parks around the globe. Celia Fernandez, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for beautiful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beautiful
Adjective
  • The film’s docufiction-like honesty is the most conspicuous here: to imagine that the Mother Teresa whom the world knows mostly as a faultless octogenarian might have as a younger woman had similar intense moments of extreme conflicting emotions is humanizing, and lovely.
    Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 27 Aug. 2025
  • This cookie set from NYC’s popular Levain store is a lovely surprise treat.
    Madeleine Bokan Thares, Glamour, 25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Make sure everyone gets to enjoy this wonderful pastime for years to come.
    Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 30 Aug. 2025
  • The music is wonderful and the archival footage a blast.
    Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The all-time classic has been respectfully and faithfully recreated with little interference other than gorgeous visuals and a more accessible, modern control scheme.
    James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
  • Farm Rio With gorgeous, colorful pieces, Farm Rio’s shiny new Carnaby Street store fits seamlessly into Soho.
    Rachel Dube, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The tavern is the result of excellent teamwork, bringing together dozens of talented individuals from Disney’s Imagineering team over the course of a year, including senior creative director Chris Weck and executive producer Ken Ricci.
    Ronny Maye, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
  • Just north of Venice, the Veneto region is also known for excellent wines.
    Mike DeSimone, Robb Report, 28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Go shopping in Conover Square, a former piano factory that’s now filled with antique shops, local boutiques, and a cute model train exhibit.
    Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 23 Aug. 2025
  • But for those trying to make their warm-weather pieces last a bit longer, a cute layer will do the trick.
    Mia Huelsbeck, People.com, 23 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • This makes for an awesome matchup against Boston’s better starters (Lucas Giolito is 8-2, Brayan Bello has a 3.25 ERA) and its radiant ace (Garrett Crochet is a few scoreless frames from an AL Triple Crown hold).
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
  • But the large storm also looms as an awesome setup for Florida surfers.
    Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Its predecessor was a handsome roadster called the Alpine, introduced in 1959 and made through 1968.
    Robert Ross, Robb Report, 22 Aug. 2025
  • During his unusual run of successful pictures in the 1960s, the deeply handsome Stamp was romantically involved with the likes of Julie Christie, Brigitte Bardot and especially supermodel Jean Shrimpton.
    Carmel Dagan, Variety, 17 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Me and some of our fabulous queens from Down Under joining me?
    McKinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2025
  • And, of course, the Famous Opportunity Drawing for fabulous gift baskets will conclude the morning of fun, according to a news release.
    Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

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

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