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a beautiful day
a perfect day
a gorgeous day
a nice day
a pretty day
beautiful music
elegant music
pleasant music
pretty music
lovely music
wonderful music
beautiful eyes
amazing eyes
pretty eyes
beautiful scenery
picturesque scenery
pristine scenery
spectacular scenery
breathtaking scenery
exquisite scenery
a beautiful baby
an adorable baby
a cute baby
a precious baby
a lovely baby
a gorgeous baby

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective beautiful differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of beautiful are comely, fair, handsome, lovely, and pretty. While all these words mean "exciting sensuous or aesthetic pleasure," 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 as synonyms of beautiful?

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

the comely grace of a dancer

When can fair be used instead of beautiful?

The words fair and beautiful are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, fair suggests beauty because of purity, flawlessness, or freshness.

fair of face

When could handsome be used to replace beautiful?

While in some cases nearly identical to beautiful, handsome suggests aesthetic pleasure due to proportion, symmetry, or elegance.

a handsome Georgian mansion

How do lovely and beautiful relate to one another?

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

a lovely melody

In what contexts can pretty take the place of beautiful?

The words pretty and beautiful 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 beautiful Michael Mann–style shots of characters considering their lives while staring into the middle distance at crashing waves or steaming fields of lava are beautiful and plentiful. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2025 Otherwise, despite some groans and squeaks after seven months of heavy use (including a couple of tween sleepovers), the couch is still beautiful and sturdy. Louryn Strampe, Wired News, 1 Aug. 2025 So whether your interest involves creating beautiful spaces, improving people's health, or something completely different, there's no reason not to explore its business potential. Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025 Nicky Hilton Rothschild poses with some beautiful flowers at the Net-a-Porter & Mr Porter Summer in the Hamptons Cocktail Party in Sagaponack, N.Y. on July 17. Escher Walcott, People.com, 21 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for beautiful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beautiful
Adjective
  • Luckily, as our experts explained, the rest of the country is just as lovely as these hubs.
    Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 3 Aug. 2025
  • There’s always been this vibrant, youthful energy and purpose to Oxford that is contained within these ancient buildings which is so, so lovely.
    Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 3 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret.
    Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 26 July 2025
  • Brad Schmitt Hey there, new neighbors, and welcome back to our intro to Nashville and all the wonderful things the city has to offer you.
    Brad Schmitt, The Tennessean, 26 July 2025
Adjective
  • Charbroiled Island Creek Oysters At Walrus Rodeo in Miami, this gorgeous dish is made with jalapeño, Franciacorta, and breadcrumbs.
    Aly Walansky, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
  • The gorgeous blooms and lush landscaping are more than worth the quick commute.
    Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 29 July 2025
Adjective
  • Aloe vera is low-maintenance, making the houseplant an excellent option for beginner houseplant owners, who don’t have much time for excessive plant care.
    Michelle Mastro, Architectural Digest, 23 July 2025
  • One of the best examples is her novel Made for Love, perhaps better known as an HBO show starring the excellent Cristin Milioti.
    The Atlantic Culture Desk, The Atlantic, 23 July 2025
Adjective
  • The moment in which Guy and Nan reunite at the courthouse and mirror each other on a staircase and over a railing, respectively, is reminiscent of their meet cute in Season 1.
    Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 30 July 2025
  • Make lunchtime fun again with the help of a cute and colorful bento box or a fun, interactive lunch box.
    Nora Colomer may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom., FOXNews.com, 30 July 2025
Adjective
  • This list features seven awesome movies on Netflix that aren’t super popular.
    Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 26 July 2025
  • The entire cast plus a bunch of cameos were awesome.
    James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025
Adjective
  • The décor is handsome, comfortably restrained and acoustically satisfying.
    Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
  • Angel is swept off of her feet by the charming, handsome and extremely wealthy Everett, and the two marry quickly.
    Karin Slaughter, People.com, 29 July 2025
Adjective
  • This one’s an equally optimistic throwback story with the fabulous foursome up against Galactus, the devourer of worlds, who could be seen in this day and age as a metaphor for climate change.
    Steve Horton, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2025
  • This is a fabulous transit for professional glow-ups: portfolio updates, photo shoots, pitch decks, and networking.
    Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 30 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Beautiful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beautiful. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on beautiful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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