winsome

adjective

ˈwin(t)-səm How to pronounce winsome (audio)
Definition of winsomenext
1
as in cheerful
having or showing a good mood or disposition she was a bright, winsome gamine who could draw a smile out of anyone

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2
as in charming
likely or intended to win one's affection in her new role, the actress again displays the winsome charm that has made her an audience favorite

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3
as in adorable
having qualities that tend to make one loved an actress who specialized in playing winsome ingenues in romantic comedies

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 winsome Some artists have eras, experimental phases, detours, creative dalliances; Arthur Russell’s career, for all its seeming contradictions—classical minimalism and lascivious disco, Zen Buddhist mantras and winsome country pop—was a continuum. — Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 27 June 2026 Musgraves has spent her career honing her own kind of tongue-in-cheek country music, deploying self-consciously old-fashioned references and sounds with a winsome wink. — Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 8 May 2026 At the kickoff of his Land of Hope & Dreams American Tour at the Target Center March 31, Springsteen and the mighty E Street Band delivered a purposeful show stocked with serious messages, but also winsome fan favorites. — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026 Madrazo also has great discernment in subtly arranging pictorial props, such as clothing, cards or flowers, that stage his winsome female figures to good effect. — Benjamin Lima special Contributor, Dallas Morning News, 18 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for winsome
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winsome
  1. cheerful
  2. charming
  3. adorable
  4. bright
  5. dear
  6. optimistic
  7. sweet
  8. beautiful
Adjective
  • In the past, Cooper has had an active online life, a cheerful and talkative presence behind his thick black beard.
    — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The rooms, which are decorated with wood and natural fibers, are set back from two miles of stunning Montego Bay beachfront and contain an impressive number of cheerful works of art by Jamaican artists.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of cheerful
Adjective
  • While renting a charming Mediterranean Revival-style villa in the Hollywood Hills, the FBI tapped her phone lines and the CIA covertly intercepted and opened her mail.
    — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The author behind the singular Elizabeth Zott returns with ‘Peck & Peck,’ a sharp, charming satire on the pretensions and perils of literary gatekeepers.
    — Leigh Haber, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of charming
Adjective
  • That’s when Wormie World, an art scavenger hunt featuring hundreds of adorable ceramic worms, will host its third annual free urban art hunt throughout the city’s central neighborhoods.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Today’s recipe More adorable than spooky, these Halloween treats are nothing more than homemade marshmallows, using just a handful of ingredients.
    — Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of adorable
Adjective
  • Le is particularly fond of the store’s Thai green bananas, which remain bright green even when fully ripe and develop an intensely sweet flavor.
    — Sara Rosenthal, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Leaning into its history, Kessler has outfitted the hotel with installations that channel the Jurassic period, including life size dinosaur skeletons and fossils, backlit in a range of bright colors, displayed throughout the walls.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of bright
Adjective
  • May his struggles never dim the memories of a sweet man, a dear friend, and a master musician.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
  • May his struggles never dim the memories of a sweet man, a dear friend, and a master musician, the post read.
    — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of dear
Adjective
  • Still, Musk has a track record of setting optimistic release targets for Tesla products, only to miss them by years.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Yet Europe’s founders and investors see good reason to be optimistic – as long as EU leaders take further action, fast.
    — Sophie Dembinski, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of optimistic
Adjective
  • And captured the juiciness of ripe strawberries, snapping the fruit into sweet focus in a pint of strawberry and passion fruit ice cream.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Also milder, sweeter and less earthy than red beets, so make sure the red beet-haters give them a taste.
    — Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of sweet
Adjective
  • Ben is a real talent and will craft a beautiful and compelling documentary.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Starting the fourth with beautiful field position, the Bruins needed three plays to score.
    — Elias Esquivel, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of beautiful

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wins (back)
winsome
wins (over)
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Cite this Entry

“Winsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winsome. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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