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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 By 2028, the segments could be sold at handsome prices or taken public with significant returns to private shareholders. Charlene Barshefsky, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2025 The fire had broken out before midnight on the third floor of the handsome brick warehouse at the end of Van Brunt Street, which along with Lanoba Design housed the offices of architects, a community newspaper, and dozens of artists prepping for an open-studio event next month. Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 19 Sep. 2025 Meanwhile, in a remote leper village, a handsome stranger brings hope with miraculous cures until doubts grow about whether his help may come at a terrible cost. Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 19 Sep. 2025 Okay, Chris Rivers, the handsome Mancunian who is the star of the party, isn’t that bad. Brian Moylan, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for handsome
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handsome
Adjective
  • So radiant, so healthy and so beautiful.
    Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
  • If Nix had set his feet while hitting on just one of three more wide-open heaves against the Bolts, the Broncos are 2-1 — and the AFC West is thrown into beautiful chaos.
    Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Tapping into traditional craft methods, from woodworking and stone mining to hammering metal, Gerlach&Heilig utilizes modern systems and tools (laser cutting, CNC milling) to design contemporary furnishings that embrace a graceful, minimal simplicity.
    Rachel Gallaher, Robb Report, 23 Sep. 2025
  • Another highlight was the graceful Otoro (fatty bluefin belly) nigiri.
    Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Earlier this year, Chinese AI firm DeepSeek rattled global markets after claiming to create a large language chatbot that outperformed competitors at a fraction of the cost.
    Ashley Capoot,Samantha Subin, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2025
  • Other states with large independent voter shares include New Hampshire, Connecticut, North Carolina, Iowa and Oregon, showing how independent voters are spread throughout red, blue and purple states.
    Julia Manchester, The Hill, 24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Networks and stations should know that such venom could now carry sizable public pushback.
    Newsweek Contributors, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
  • The Virtuoso+ is a step up from the brand’s entry-level machines, but that step is a sizable one.
    Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The research team also highlighted that sodium chemistries are attractive, yet sodium solid electrolytes show limited room-temperature ionic conductivity.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2025
  • Oh, and home attendance ranked 28th of 30 teams, so evidently the product still wasn’t attractive enough.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Her blonde hair was parted at the side and tucked low in an elegant bun in the back.
    Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025
  • The elegant car, original down to the paint, is a legacy that will be passed on to her daughter.
    Laura Lane, USA Today, 27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner secured a substantial severance package after being relieved of his duties in July.
    Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
  • Knowing exactly what type of fuel your car needs can either save you a substantial amount of money annually on fuel costs, or thousands of dollars in potential engine repair or replacement costs.
    Charles Singh, Nashville Tennessean, 23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Because of Australia’s remote location, drug prices are exceptionally high, and the strict border authorities mean that taking large sums of cash out of the country is a considerable challenge.
    Barry Levitt, Time, 26 Sep. 2025
  • But from middle age to retirement age of 65, there is considerable loss, and then the loss steepens in the 70s as if falling off a cliff.
    Bryant Stamford, Louisville Courier Journal, 25 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Handsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handsome. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.

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