Meanings
adjectivebeautiful (comparative more beautiful, superlative most beautiful)
comparative more beautiful · superlative most beautiful
- Possessing beauty, impressing the eye; attractive.First known use 1520s
There's a beautiful lake by the town.
5 more examples
Anyone who has ever met her thought she was absolutely beautiful.
[A]s amongſt the Moores, the Iettieſt blacke are deem'd / The beautifulſt of them; […]
1622, Michael Drayton, “The Sixe and Twentieth Song”, in The Second Part, or A Continuance of Poly-Olbion from the Eighteenth Song. […], London: […] Augustine Mathewes for Iohn Marriott, Iohn Grismand, and Thomas Dewe, →OCLC, page 124“Is Olga de Coude very beautiful?” she asked. And Tarzan laughed and kissed her again. “Not one-tenth so beautiful as you, dear,” he said.
1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan, New York: Ballantine Books, published 1963, page 214It's rather like a beautiful Inverness cloak one has inherited. Much too good to hide away, so one wears it instead of an overcoat and pretends it's an amusing new fashion.
1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 5, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLCIt is a beautiful kitchen! — It is beautiful.
2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)- Used emphatically or ironically, after the noun it qualifies.
the house beautiful
- That one likes very much.
You've done a beautiful thing today.
1 more example
He was a beautiful person; he would drop everything to help you.
- Affording pleasure to any of the senses, especially that of hearing; delightful.First known use 1860s
Beethoven's most beautiful sonata
2 more examples
It's beautiful outside, let's go for a walk.
These carnations smell beautiful but those daffodils smell funny.
- Impressing with charm in an intellectual or moral way, through inherent suitability or elegance.First known use 1580s
The skater performed a beautiful axel.
nounbeautiful (plural beautifuls)
plural beautifuls
- Someone who is beautiful. Can be used as a term of address.
Hey, beautiful!
1 more example
The man was faithful to his wife, ignoring the many blonde beautifuls who surrounded him wherever he went.
Synonyms & antonyms
possessing charm and attractive
well executed
antonym(s) of “possessing charm and attractive”
Opposite
adjectivedelighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
Opposite
adjective(of weather) highly enjoyable
Similar
Also see
attractivebabeishbeauteousbona varderingbonniebonnycomelydishydivinedreamyenjoyableesculentexquisitefairfine-lookinggloriousgood-lookinggorgeoushandsomehornyhotjuicylovelylusciousnubileon fleekpersonablephatpicturesquepleasantprettypretty-prettypulchritudinousravishingresplendentscenicsexysightlysmoking hotsplendidsplendiferousstunningtastytoothsomewell-favoured
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*dewh₂-der.?
- Proto-Italic*dwenos
- Old Latinduenos
- Old Latin*duenelos
- Latinbellus
- Vulgar Latin*bellitātem
- Anglo-Normanbiauté
- Middle Englishbeaute
- Proto-Indo-European*pleh₁-
- Proto-Indo-European*pl̥h₁nós
- Proto-Germanic*fullaz
- Middle Englishbewteful
- Englishbeautiful
From Middle English bewteful, beautefull (“attractive to the eye, beautiful”), equivalent to beauty + -ful. In this sense, largely displaced Old English fæġer (whence fair).
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans mooi
- mooiattractive
Ancient Greek καλός, ὡραῖος
- καλός (kalós)attractive
- ὡραῖος (hōraîos)attractive
Arabic جَمِيل, مَلِيح
- جَمِيل (jamīl)attractive
- مَلِيح (malīḥ)attractive
Basque eder
- ederattractive
Bengali সুন্দর, খুবসুরত
- সুন্দর (śundor)attractive
- খুবসুরত (khubśurot)attractive
- হাসিন (haśin)attractive
Bulgarian краси́в, прекра́сен
- краси́в (krasív)attractive
- прекра́сен (prekrásen)attractive
- ху́бав (húbav)attractive
- ху́бав (húbav)of weather: pleasant, clear
Catalan bell, bella
- bellattractive
- bellaattractive
- formósattractive
- formósaattractive
- bonicattractive
- bonicaattractive
Chinese Cantonese 靚 /靓, 好睇
- 靚 /靓 (leng³)attractive
- 好睇 (hou² tai²)attractive
- 漂亮 (piu³ loeng⁶)attractive
- 美麗 /美丽 (mei⁵ lai⁶)attractive
- 靚 /靓 (leng³)of weather: pleasant, clear
- 好天 (hou² tin¹)of weather: pleasant, clear
Chinese Mandarin 漂亮, 美
- 漂亮 (piàoliang)attractive
- 美 (měi)attractive
- 好看 (hǎokàn)attractive
- 美麗 /美丽 (měilì)attractive
- 好天 (hǎotiān)of weather: pleasant, clear
Czech krásný, pěkný
- krásnýattractive
- pěknýattractive
- sličnýattractive
Danish smuk
- smukattractive
Dutch mooi, schoon
- mooiattractive
- schoonattractive
- mooiof weather: pleasant, clear
Esperanto bela
- belaattractive
Estonian kaunis, ilus
- kaunisattractive
- ilusattractive
Finnish loistava, kaunis
- loistavaused emphaticly or ironically
- kaunisimpressing with charm in an intellectual or moral way
- loistavaimpressing with charm in an intellectual or moral way
- kaunisattractive
- kaunisof weather: pleasant, clear
French beau, belle
- beauattractive
- belleattractive
- beauof weather: pleasant, clear
German toll, schön
- tollused emphaticly or ironically
- schönused emphaticly or ironically
- tollas a pro-sentence
- schönattractive
- heiterof weather: pleasant, clear
- schönof weather: pleasant, clear
Greek ωραίος, όμορφος
- ωραίος (oraíos)attractive
- όμορφος (ómorfos)attractive
Hawaiian nani
- naniattractive
Hebrew יָפֶה, יָפָה
- יָפֶה (yafé)attractive
- יָפָה (yafá)attractive
- נאה (na'e)of weather: pleasant, clear
Hindi आकर्षक, मोहक
- आकर्षक (ākarṣak)attractive
- मोहक (mohak)attractive
- मनोहर (manohar)attractive
- सुन्दर (sundar)attractive
- प्यारा (pyārā)attractive
- ख़ूबसूरत (xūbsūrat)attractive
- हसीन (hasīn)attractive
- मनोरम (manoram)attractive
- मनोरम (manoram)of weather: pleasant, clear
Hungarian szép, szép
- szépused emphaticly or ironically
- szépimpressing with charm in an intellectual or moral way
- szépattractive
- gyönyörűattractive
- szépof weather: pleasant, clear
Icelandic fallegur, fagur
- fallegurattractive
- fagurattractive
Indonesian indah, cantik
- indahattractive
- cantikattractive
- ayuattractive
- molekattractive
- cakepattractive
Irish álainn, spéiriúil
- álainnattractive
- spéiriúilattractive
- dathúilattractive
- galántaattractive
- álainnof weather: pleasant, clear
- aoibhinnof weather: pleasant, clear
- galántaof weather: pleasant, clear
- breáof weather: pleasant, clear
Italian magnifico, stupendo
- magnificoimpressing with charm in an intellectual or moral way
- stupendoimpressing with charm in an intellectual or moral way
- splendidoimpressing with charm in an intellectual or moral way
- fantasticoimpressing with charm in an intellectual or moral way
- belloattractive
- bellaattractive
- affascinanteattractive
- incantevoleattractive
- meravigliosoattractive
Japanese 美しい, 綺麗
- 美しい (utsukushii)attractive
- 綺麗 (kirei)attractive
- 素敵 (suteki)attractive
Korean 아름답다, 예쁘다
- 아름답다 (areumdapda)attractive
- 예쁘다 (yeppeuda)attractive
Latin pulcher, fōrmōsus
- pulcherattractive
- fōrmōsusattractive
- bellusattractive
Latvian skaists, daiļš
- skaistsattractive
- daiļšattractive
- glītsattractive
Lithuanian gražus
- gražusattractive
Malay cantik, cantik
- cantikused emphaticly or ironically
- cantikas a pro-sentence
- cantikattractive
- indahattractive
- molekattractive
- indahof weather: pleasant, clear
Māori waiwaiā, pīwari
- waiwaiāattractive
- pīwariattractive
- hūmārieattractive
- hūmārireattractive
- purotuattractive
- rerehuaattractive
- tauattractive
- ātangaattractive
- ātaahuaattractive
- paruhiof weather: pleasant, clear
Norwegian Bokmål nydelig, enestående
- nydeligimpressing with charm in an intellectual or moral way
- eneståendeimpressing with charm in an intellectual or moral way
- vakkerattractive
Polish piękny, piękna
- pięknyattractive
- pięknaattractive
Portuguese belo, bela
- beloattractive
- belaattractive
- bonitoattractive
- bonitaattractive
- lindoattractive
- lindaattractive
- limpoof weather: pleasant, clear
Punjabi ਸੁਹਣਾ
- ਸੁਹਣਾ (suhṇā)attractive
Romanian frumos, frumoasă
- frumosattractive
- frumoasăattractive
- mușatattractive
Russian краси́вый, прекра́сный
- краси́вый (krasívyj)attractive
- прекра́сный (prekrásnyj)attractive
- приго́жий (prigóžij)attractive
- ле́пый (lépyj)attractive
- я́сный (jásnyj)of weather: pleasant, clear
- прекра́сный (prekrásnyj)of weather: pleasant, clear
Scottish Gaelic àlainn, bòidheach
- àlainnattractive
- bòidheachattractive
- brèaghaattractive
- fèilleilattractive
- grinnattractive
- maiseachattractive
- rìomhachattractive
- sgèimheachattractive
Slovak krásny, krásny
- krásnyimpressing with charm in an intellectual or moral way
- krásnyattractive
- peknýattractive
- peknýof weather: pleasant, clear
- krásnyof weather: pleasant, clear
Spanish bravo, hermoso
- bravoas a pro-sentence
- hermosoattractive
- fermosoattractive
- belloattractive
- belattractive
- bellidoattractive
- despejadoof weather: pleasant, clear
- alegreof weather: pleasant, clear
Swahili zuri
- zuriattractive
Swedish fin, vacker
- finattractive
- vackerattractive
- skönattractive
- finof weather: pleasant, clear
- vackerof weather: pleasant, clear
Tagalog maganda
- magandaattractive
Tamil அழகிய, அழகிய
- அழகிய (aḻakiya)attractive
- அழகிய (aḻakiya)of weather: pleasant, clear
Thai สุนทร, สวย
- สุนทร (sǔn-tɔɔn)attractive
- สวย (sǔai)attractive
- งาม (ngaam)attractive
Turkish güzel
- güzelattractive
Ukrainian бездога́нний, прекра́сний
- бездога́нний (bezdohánnyj)impressing with charm in an intellectual or moral way
- прекра́сний (prekrásnyj)impressing with charm in an intellectual or moral way
- вродли́вий (vrodlývyj)attractive
- краси́вий (krasývyj)attractive
- га́рний (hárnyj)attractive
- хоро́ший (xoróšyj)attractive
- фа́йний (fájnyj)attractive
- кра́сний (krásnyj)attractive
- ясни́й (jasnýj)of weather: pleasant, clear
Urdu خُوبْصُورَت, سُنْدَر
- خُوبْصُورَت (xūbsūrat)attractive
- سُنْدَر (sundar)attractive
- حَسِین (hasīn)attractive
- پْیارا (pyārā)attractive
- قَشَن٘گ (qaśaṅg)attractive
- زیبا (zebā)attractive
Vietnamese đẹp, xinh đẹp
- đẹpattractive
- xinh đẹpattractive
Welsh hardd, prydferth
- harddattractive
- prydferthattractive
- arddunattractive
Yiddish שיין
- שיין (sheyn)attractive
Cite this entry
APA
beautiful. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beautiful
MLA
“beautiful.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beautiful. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “beautiful,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beautiful.
Source: beautiful on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.