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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 This bold orange, purple, and white tie-dye set is a beautiful and breezy option for warm destinations. Robin Raven, Travel + Leisure, 27 Apr. 2025 There’s this great song and dance scene, and there’s that beautiful set that’s these uplit buildings that are super deco. Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 26 Apr. 2025 Order a drink, admire the master carpentry, and unwind with views of the beautiful garden. Christina Liao, Vogue, 15 Apr. 2025 Property Picks This one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment is just 20 steps from one of the most beautiful beaches in the world—Seven Mile Beach. Kathleen Peddicord, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for beautiful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beautiful
Adjective
  • Get The Recipe 09 of 15 Watermelon Radish Salad These blushing spring radishes add a lovely color and flavor to little gem lettuces.
    Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2025
  • My fellow guests were relaxed, friendly, and simply excited to be having a lovely holiday at sea.
    Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • And Giuseppe Trevisani, wonderful guy, is my favorite excuse of all.
    Domenico Starnone, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2025
  • There’s the potential to still reach 94 points, which might not quite have the same sheen to it as the 99 points achieved by Liverpool’s last title-winning side in 2019-20 but should still be recognised as a wonderful achievement.
    Gregg Evans, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Also make sure to stop in at the A.E. Backus Museum & Gallery, which features gorgeous Florida landscapes by native son A.E.
    Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Check out the indoor and outdoor spas after your hike up Bartlett Mountain or regain your energy with a BBQ feast on the gorgeous two-story outdoor terrace.
    Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • In a survey of more than 15,000 users after its rollout in 2024, 90% of respondents ranked their experience as excellent or above average.
    Rachel Barber, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Scott McKenna bossing the defence, Fabio Silva scoring goals for fun, Oli McBurnie bashing around and suddenly speaking excellent Spanish… this is a cause to believe in.
    Jack Lang, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Save on breezy skirts, cute jeans, and stretchy yoga pants that are ideal for travel.
    Isabel Garcia, People.com, 26 Apr. 2025
  • More: Are cute children's books teaching kids about gender and sexuality?
    Stephen J. Beard, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Kai Trump inadvertently got, like, the most awesome tea while shooting her vlog at the UFC 314 in downtown Miami last weekend.
    Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2025
  • The awesome battery life will easily last you through a long day of heavy scrolling and video streaming.
    Shubham Yewale, PC Magazine, 21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The Nest Learning Thermostat is a handsome, effective device, one that arguably kickstarted the smart home revolution with its simple usability and gorgeous design.
    David Phelan, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
  • Cole is the handsome, non-committal Miami playboy who your best friend warns you about.
    Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Comments Even when a blowout hotel isn’t in the budget, a fabulous night’s stay is within reach at these 15 properties, all of which come in at less than $300 a night.
    Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2025
  • Stefani, who is married to country musician and Oklahoma native Blake Shelton, spent the week with her husband and sons Zuma and Apollo (her eldest son Kingston was not present) at one fabulous luxury resort in the heart of Missouri’s Ozark Mountains.
    Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Beautiful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beautiful. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on beautiful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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