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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 The native form makes a handsome specimen in large landscapes. Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2025 Sexiest Man Alive McConaughey has long been considered one of Hollywood's most handsome leading men and was named People's Sexiest Man Alive in 2005. Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 9 Nov. 2025 Marissa runs her own wealth management firm in Chicago, alongside her very handsome business partner, Colin (Jay Ellis). Ben Travers, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2025 Blue Cowboy’s pairing of Cale’s narrator and Will the cowboy — so handsome, so soulful, so repressed as to be nearly fantastical — heightens your awareness of the class and political divides at play. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for handsome
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handsome
Adjective
  • Big Lonely Doug is a sight to behold—achingly beautiful yet incredibly sad.
    Brad Badelt, Outside, 11 Nov. 2025
  • Tailoring is core to the DNA of VB and so every collection includes beautiful cashmere or wool coats that have a fashion-forward design, but also won’t date quickly.
    Emma Spedding, Vogue, 11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Characterized by graceful, winding arms that spiral out from a bright central bulge, these systems are rich with both young and old stars, swirling gas and cosmic dust.
    Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2025
  • After winning over America with his epic one-liners and graceful skates, Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon tackled the dance floor alongside partner Jenna Johnson.
    Diana Pearl, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Put another way, how are the 19,000 or so students at the third-largest school district in Arkansas performing?
    Dmitry Martirosov, Arkansas Online, 12 Nov. 2025
  • Sea shares plunged in Tuesday trading, despite Southeast Asia’s largest tech company reporting double-digit growth in all three of its business divisions for the most recent quarter.
    Angelica Ang, Fortune, 12 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Despite being one of three teams to make the playoffs from the NL Central division, the gap between the Cubs and Brewers is sizable.
    Drew VonScio, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Disney’s 20th Century Studios spent a sizable $105 million to produce the film, not including marketing expenses.
    Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Passive funds are attractive because, with their investment fees typically running ~80% lower than active funds, they’re viewed as a cheaper way to own a diverse assortment of stocks.
    Mark Dent, HubSpot, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Additionally, its attractive exterior design and simple, modern cabin are welcoming.
    Charles Singh, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Produced from 1996 to 2005, the Neptune is an elegant take on the classic sports watch featuring a slim case and an integrated bracelet with fish scale-like links in honor of the god of the sea.
    Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Paris Hilton looks elegant in a black gown with her signature sparkly touch at the Waldorf Astoria's grand reopening in New York City.
    Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Since at least 2016, a substantial share of the royalties Archdeacon received from Stryker was related to his work on a Stryker implant known as the Pelvis II, a series of plates and screws used to repair pelvic fractures.
    Elizabeth B. Kim, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Nov. 2025
  • The appeals court backed the jury’s decision that Trump would not stop defaming Carroll unless he was hit with a substantial financial penalty.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Colorado football's third season with Deion Sanders at the helm has been met with considerable headwinds.
    Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 8 Nov. 2025
  • The pleasant, polished drama provides a compassionate take on a high schooler undergoing considerable change, its only debit being the arguably too-neat depiction of that transitional circumstance.
    Dennis Harvey, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Handsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handsome. Accessed 21 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on handsome

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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