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a handsome face
an attractive face
a pleasing face
a lovely face
a fine face
a pretty face
a handsome profit
a hefty profit
a lovely profit
a generous profit
a healthy profit
a tidy profit
a handsome book
an attractive book
a beautiful book
a gorgeous book
an elegant book
an exquisite book

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective handsome differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of handsome are beautiful, comely, fair, lovely, and pretty. While all these words mean "exciting sensuous or aesthetic pleasure," handsome suggests aesthetic pleasure due to proportion, symmetry, or elegance.

a handsome Georgian mansion

When is it sensible to use beautiful instead of handsome?

While the synonyms beautiful and handsome are close in meaning, 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?

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

the comely grace of a dancer

When could fair be used to replace handsome?

The synonyms fair and handsome are sometimes interchangeable, but fair suggests beauty because of purity, flawlessness, or freshness.

fair of face

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

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

a lovely melody

When would pretty be a good substitute for handsome?

The words pretty and handsome 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 handsome But Pedro, or Joel, rather, is so painfully handsome, whoever was describing him to Abby couldn’t overlook that fact. Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 25 May 2025 And who should pick up Agathe from the ferry but a handsome, prickly Englishman, Oliver (Charlie Anson), the great-great-great-great-grandnephew of Ms. Austen herself. Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 25 May 2025 The works on view at the Met have a remarkable depth and presence, and their handsome presentation emphasizes their appeal as keepsakes. Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 24 May 2025 The handsome and charismatic Lord Edward Fitzgerald, an Anglican son of a duke, renounced his title and commanded the society’s militia. Joseph Patrick Kelly, The Conversation, 20 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for handsome
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handsome
Adjective
  • The graceful bridge overlooking the water lily ponds has been the setting of thousands of group photos over the years.
    Bonnie Gross, Sun Sentinel, 4 June 2025
  • Kevin Harlan and Ernie Johnson Jr. delivered eloquent, graceful sign-offs when TNT concluded 35 years of NBA coverage on Saturday night.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 June 2025
Adjective
  • Bars often use multiple types and shapes, including shaved, cracked, crushed, cubed and large ice cubes and spheres, both produced in molds.
    Isidoro Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
  • The trend is particularly striking across younger age cohorts; Gen Z drinks less than prior generations at the same age, and millennials hold the largest share of no-alcohol drinkers, according to IWSR.
    Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 29 May 2025
Adjective
  • Their beautiful bi-level home is hidden on a backstreet in Palermo.
    Liza B. Zimmerman, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
  • In the back of The Testaments is a beautiful dedication to me and some of the cast members.
    Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 3 June 2025
Adjective
  • That enthusiasm has pushed one of his most popular collections back to the summit on one major list, while another brand new title earns the rock legend another top 10 bestseller — just ahead of what’s sure to be another sizable debut.
    Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
  • No one has been detained in Miami-Dade or Duval counties, according to county clerk and state court data, despite the areas boasting sizable immigrant populations.
    Hannah Critchfield, Sun Sentinel, 29 May 2025
Adjective
  • And Just Like That… is, for lack of a more elegant term, so goddamn weird this season.
    Emma Bocchi, Vogue, 6 June 2025
  • The newest model continues to fuse advanced materials with Japanese craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology to create a timepiece that is durable, precise and elegant.
    Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 6 June 2025
Adjective
  • This indicates substantial price swings during these periods.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
  • While San Francisco hogs headlines on homelessness and crime, its southern neighbor, San Jose, has been quietly making bold moves — and seeing substantial results.
    Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 26 May 2025
Adjective
  • People in these jobs generally manage the practical logistics of trying to create workplaces that are more welcoming for all employees — and more attractive to a broader pool of qualified candidates.
    Maria Aspan, NPR, 27 May 2025
  • Grab the Mercury Row Jacquelyn Accent Chair as a practical yet attractive addition to virtually any room in your home, and keep scrolling to discover more space-saving furniture on sale at Wayfair.
    Alexandra Kay, People.com, 25 May 2025
Adjective
  • The legislation, despite its exceptions, still provoked considerable resistance in the House of Representatives.
    Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2025
  • But barring a considerable deterioration of the macroeconomic climate, another production hike appears to be on the horizon next month as well.
    Gaurav Sharma, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Handsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handsome. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on handsome

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