comeliness 1 of 2

comely

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adjective

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective comely differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of comely are beautiful, fair, handsome, lovely, and pretty. While all these words mean "exciting sensuous or aesthetic pleasure," comely is like handsome in suggesting what is coolly approved rather than emotionally responded to.

the comely grace of a dancer

When is it sensible to use beautiful instead of comely?

The words beautiful and comely can be used in similar contexts, but beautiful applies to whatever excites the keenest of pleasure to the senses and stirs emotion through the senses.

beautiful mountain scenery

When would fair be a good substitute for comely?

Although the words fair and comely have much in common, fair suggests beauty because of purity, flawlessness, or freshness.

fair of face

When might handsome be a better fit than comely?

In some situations, the words handsome and comely are roughly equivalent. However, handsome suggests aesthetic pleasure due to proportion, symmetry, or elegance.

a handsome Georgian mansion

How do lovely and beautiful relate to one another, in the sense of comely?

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

a lovely melody

Where would pretty be a reasonable alternative to comely?

The meanings of pretty and comely largely overlap; however, 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 comeliness
Adjective
Instead, his big conversion comes later, after Rafael takes a fist to the face for dancing with a local tough guy’s comely fiancée. Peter Debruge, Variety, 23 Aug. 2023 Connecticut-raised Troy’s debut novel, Floating, imagines a dinky, dusty town in Arizona where its comely protagonist, Ruby, falls in love with her husband’s estranged, cowboy brother. Hazlitt, 4 May 2022 The comely stars, who are excellent at trolling each other online, are already parents to daughters James, 4, and Inez, 2. Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2019 Furthermore, the plant is topped by comely flowers, which in time proudly adorned the button-holes of no less than Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, in their day intentionally marketing the potato to a then-skeptical proletariat. Bill St. John, The Denver Post, 9 Oct. 2019 See All Example Sentences for comeliness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for comeliness
Noun
  • Hosted by luxury natural hair brand Camille Rose (Black owned, by the way) and sponsored by Wells Fargo, the festival has become a go-to celebration of Black beauty, creativity and community.
    Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 20 June 2025
  • Formally brilliant, the pieces have been in love with beauty and have cautiously flirted with representation.
    Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 20 June 2025
Adjective
  • While at a wedding, Harry (Pascal), a handsome millionaire, starts flirting with her.
    Rebecca Aizin, People.com, 13 June 2025
  • None of that is as interesting as the romance between the novel’s poor orphan Eun-Jae and the handsome prince Yi Beon.
    Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
Adjective
  • Robert, who turns 28 on Aug. 3, is somewhat more attractive, a plus defender in center who has stolen 21 bases in 26 attempts.
    Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 20 June 2025
  • Grocery stores operate on the thinnest of margins and chic or attractive has nothing to do with marketing commodities like eggs and bread.
    Greg Petro, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025
Adjective
  • This wine estate is located up a beautiful valley west of, and perpendicular to, the axis of the hills that form the Côte d’Or.
    Tom Mullen, Forbes.com, 15 June 2025
  • Find antique treasures at Country Primitives and The Village Sampler; women’s clothing and accessories at Apricot Lane; and beautiful tabletop items at The Florida Room.
    Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 15 June 2025
Adjective
  • The crook of land that frames Lewes to the east, Cape Henlopen, was first spotted by European eyes in 1609 by English explorer Henry Hudson and is now a lovely state park.
    Tim Neville, Travel + Leisure, 15 June 2025
  • From its unique patterns, eye-catching color combinations and lovely add-ons (mirror work, beads and tassles), the textile enthusiast felt a strong connection to the craft of ralli.
    Sonya Rehman, Forbes.com, 15 June 2025
Adjective
  • Plus, a slight slit in the legs adds a cute and playful touch.
    Jacquelyn Smith, Parents, 13 June 2025
  • Related Articles Miss Manners: Another mother chided me for group-texting a cute photo.
    Eric Thomas, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 June 2025
Adjective
  • This pretty appetizer is the brain child of my friend and our Senior Food Editor Josh Miller, who is a fellow avid pool host who hates turning the oven on in the summer.
    Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 13 June 2025
  • And then, on the evening of May 4, Mars made a very close pass near the Beehive Star Cluster (M44), a very pretty sight as viewed through binoculars or a low-power, wide-field telescope.
    Joe Rao, Space.com, 13 June 2025
Adjective
  • These boots Adelheid is lacing are sort of…gorgeous?
    Emma Specter, Vogue, 23 June 2025
  • Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is like a symphony — a gorgeous classical concerto where an electric guitar occasionally cuts in to shred an off-putting, yet surprisingly sick riff.
    Hayes Madsen, Rolling Stone, 23 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Comeliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/comeliness. Accessed 28 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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