beautiful

English

Etymology

From Middle English bewteful, beautefull (“attractive to the eye, beautiful”), equivalent to beauty +‎ -ful. In this sense, largely displaced Old English fæġer (whence fair).

Pronunciation

• (UK) enPR: byo͞oʹtĭ-fəl, IPA^(key): /ˈbjuːtɪ.fəl/, /ˈbjuːtɪ.fʊl/

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈbju.tɪ.fəl/, [bju.ɾə.fəl]

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: beau‧ti‧ful

Adjective

beautiful (comparative more beautiful, superlative most beautiful)

1. Attractive and possessing beauty.

   Anyone who has ever met her thought she was absolutely beautiful.

   There's a beautiful lake by the town.

   • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 5, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:

     It'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.

   • 2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)‎^[1]:

     It is a beautiful kitchen! — It is beautiful.

     Audio (US):

     (file)

2. Good, admirable.

   He was a beautiful person; he would drop everything to help you.

   You've done a beautiful thing today.

3. (of the weather) Pleasant; clear.

   It's beautiful outside, let's go for a walk.

4. Well executed.

   The skater performed a beautiful axel.

Usage notes

• When used to refer to human appearance, the word is more commonly used for women, with handsome being more common for men, though neither is incorrect. For a man, beautiful could connote a more delicate or androgynous appearance.
• The comparatives beautifuler and beautifuller, and the superlatives beautifulest and beautifullest have also occasionally been used, but are nonstandard.

Synonyms

• (possessing charm and attractive): beauteous, attractive, cute, fair, good-looking, gorgeous, sheen, handsome, hot (slang), lovely, nice-looking, pretty, shapely, fit (slang)
• (of the weather): clear, fine, nice, pleasant, sunny
• (well executed): excellent, exceptional, good, great, marvellous/marvelous, perfect, stylish, wonderful
• (ironic: how unfortunate): great, marvellous/marvelous, nice, very nice, wonderful (any of these can be prefixed with an intensifier such as bloody, damned or just)
• See also Thesaurus:beautiful

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “possessing charm and attractive”): grotesque, hideous, homely, plain, misshapen, repulsive, ugly; unbeautiful
• (antonym(s) of “of the weather”): bad, cloudy, dull, miserable, overcast, rainy, wet
• (antonym(s) of “well executed”): average, bad, mediocre, poor, shoddy, substandard, terrible, weak

Derived terms

• beautiful armadillo
• beautiful fruit dove
• beautiful game
• beautifully
• beautiful music
• beautifulness
• beautiful people
• beautimous
• bee-utiful
• Bucyrus
• cuteful
• make beautiful music together
• nonbeautiful
• prettiful
• you have beautiful eyes

 

Related terms

• beauty
  • See also Thesaurus:beautiful woman

Translations

possessing charm and attractive

• Afrikaans: mooi (af)
• Albanian: i bukur (sq)
• American Sign Language: 5@NearCheek-PalmBack RoundVert OpenA@NearJaw-PalmBack
• Amharic: ቆንጆ (ḳonǧo)
• Arabic: جَمِيل (ar) (jamīl), مَلِيح (malīḥ)

  Egyptian Arabic: جميل (gamīl)

  Moroccan Arabic: غزال m (ḡuzāl), جميل (jmīl), زوين m (zwīn)

  North Levantine Arabic: حِلُو, جَمِيْل m

• Aramaic: שפירא
• Armenian: գեղեցիկ (hy) (geġecʻik), սիրուն (hy) (sirun)
• Assamese: ধুনীয়া (dhunia) (common), ভাল লগা (bhal loga), সুন্দৰ (xundor)
• Asturian: guapu m, guapa f, formosu m, formosa f
• Auslan: please add this translation if you can
• Avar: берцинаб (bercinab)
• Azerbaijani: gözəl (az), qəşəng (az), yaraşıqlı
• Bashkir: матур (matur)
• Basque: eder
• Belait: jie batien
• Belarusian: выда́тны (vydátny), прыго́жы (pryhóžy), харо́шы (xaróšy), красі́вы (krasívy), урадлі́вы (uradlívy), фа́йны (fájny)
• Bengali: সুন্দর (bn) (śundor), খুবসুরত (bn) (khubśurot), হাসিন (bn) (haśin)
• Bikol Central: magayon (bcl)
• Breton: brav (br), kaer (br)
• Brunei Bisaya: bagak
• Brunei Malay: bisai
• Bulgarian: краси́в (bg) (krasív), прекра́сен (bg) (prekrásen), ху́бав (bg) (húbav)
• Burmese: လှသော (hla.sau:), လှပ (my) (hla.pa.)
• Buryat: һайхан (hajxan)
• Catalan: bell (ca) m, bella (ca) f, formós (ca) m, formósa f, bonic (ca) m, bonica (ca) f
• Cebuano: matahom (of a female), maanyag (of a person)
• Central Dusun: olumis
• Chamicuro: pya'c̈homa, pewa puti'na
• Chechen: хаза (xaza)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 靚／靓 (leng³), 好睇 (hou² tai²) (object), 漂亮 (piu³ loeng⁶) (formal), 美麗／美丽 (mei⁵ lai⁶) (formal)

  Dungan: җүн (žün), җүн-ён (žün-i͡on), җиҗүн (žižün), җүнмый (žünmɨy)

  Eastern Min: 俊 (cóng), 漂亮 (piĕu-liông)

  Hokkien: 媠 (zh-min-nan) (súi), 美麗／美丽 (zh-min-nan) (bí-lē), 好看 (hó-khòaⁿ), 媠噹噹／媠当当 (zh-min-nan) (súi-tang-tang)

  Mandarin: 漂亮 (zh) (piàoliang), 美 (zh) (měi), 好看 (zh) (hǎokàn), 美麗／美丽 (zh) (měilì)

  Teochew: 雅 (ngia²)

  Wu: 漂亮, 好看 (⁵hau-khoe)

• Coastal Kadazan: olumis
• Coptic: ⲛⲉⲥⲉ (nese)
• Cornish: teg
• Czech: krásný (cs), pěkný (cs), sličný (cs) (literary)
• Dalmatian: bial
• Danish: smuk (da)
• Dutch: mooi (nl), schoon (nl)
• Egyptian: (nfr)
• Esperanto: bela (eo)
• Estonian: kaunis (et), ilus (et)
• Faroese: vakur (fo), penur, fagur
• Fijian: totoka
• Finnish: kaunis (fi)
• French: beau (fr) m, belle (fr) f
• Friulian: biel m, biele f
• Galician: belo (gl), fermoso (gl)
• Georgian: მშვენიერი (mšvenieri), ლამაზი (lamazi), ტურფა (ṭurpa), საუცხოო (saucxoo), საყვარელი (saq̇vareli), მომხიბლავი (momxiblavi), მიმზიდველი (mimzidveli), სასიამოვნო (sasiamovno), სანდომიანი (sandomiani), წარმტაცი (c̣armṭaci), თვალწარმტაცი (tvalc̣armṭaci), კოხტა (ḳoxṭa), მოხდენილი (moxdenili), პირმშვენიერი (ṗirmšvenieri)
• German: schön (de)
• Gothic: 𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌿𐌽𐍃 (skauns)
• Greek: ωραίος (el) (oraíos), όμορφος (el) (ómorfos)

  Ancient: καλός (kalós), ὡραῖος (hōraîos)

• Gujarati: સુંદર (sundar), રૂપાળું (rūpāḷũ), ખૂબસૂરત (gu) (khūbsūrat)
• Haitian Creole: bò
• Hawaiian: nani
• Hebrew: יָפֶה (he) m (yafé), יָפָה (he) f (yafá)
• Hindi: ख़ूबसूरत (xūbsūrat), सुन्दर (hi) (sundar), हसीन (hi) (hasīn), प्यारा (hi) (pyārā)
• Hungarian: szép (hu), gyönyörű (hu)
• Hunsrik: scheen
• Icelandic: fallegur (is), fagur (is)
• Ido: bela (io)
• Igbo: oma
• Ilocano: napintas
• Indonesian: indah (id), cantik (id), ayu (id), molek (id), cakep (id)
• Ingrian: käppiä, see Thesaurus:käppiä
• Interlingua: belle (ia)
• Irish: álainn, spéiriúil, dathúil, galánta
• Isan: please add this translation if you can
• Istriot: biel m, biela f
• Italian: bello (it) m, bella (it) f, affascinante (it), incantevole (it), meraviglioso (it)
• Japanese: 美しい (ja) (うつくしい, utsukushii), 綺麗 (ja) (きれい, kirei), 素敵 (ja) (すてき, suteki)
• Jingpho: tsawm
• Kabuverdianu: bunitu, benite
• Kalmyk: сәәхн (sääxn)
• Kannada: ಸುಂದರ (kn) (sundara)
• Kapampangan: malagu
• Kazakh: әдемі (ädemı), әсем (äsem), сұлу (sūlu)
• Khmer: ស្អាត (km) (sʼaat), ល្អ (km) (lʼɑɑ)
• Korean: 아름답다 (ko) (areumdapda), 예쁘다 (ko) (yeppeuda)
• Kunigami: 清ーらせん (すーらせん, sūrasen)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: جوان (ckb) (cwan), ئێسک سووک (ckb) (êsk sûk)

  Northern Kurdish: xweşik (ku), spehî (ku), ciwan (ku), rind (ku)

• Kyrgyz: сулуу (ky) (suluu), көркөм (ky) (körköm), кооз (ky) (kooz), сонун (ky) (sonun), чырайлуу (ky) (cırayluu), чырай жүздүү (ky) (cıray jüzdüü), сулуу (ky) (suluu), укмуштай (ky) (ukmuştay), укмуштай (ky) (ukmuştay), ажайып (ky) (ajayıp), көйүткөн (ky) (köyütkön)
• Laboya: jorro
• Ladino: ermozo m, ermoza f
• Lao: ງາມ (ngām), ງ້ອມ (ngǭm), ຈຸບຸ (chu bu), ຊະແລບ (sa lǣp), ທີ່ສວຍງາມ (thīt wa nya ngām), ກັນລະຍາ (kan la nyā), ກັນລະຍານ (kan la nyān), ຄ່ອງ (khǭng)
• Latin: pulcher (la), formosus m, bellus (la) m
• Latvian: skaists (lv), daiļš, glīts
• Limburgish: sjoen (li)
• Lithuanian: gražus (lt)
• Lombard: bel, bèll
• Low German: schöön (nds), scheun
• Lü: ᦇᦱᧄ (ngaam)
• Macedonian: убав (ubav), прекрасен (prekrasen)
• Malay: cantik (ms), indah (ms), molek (ms)
• Malayalam: സുന്ദരം (ml) (sundaraṁ)
• Maltese: sabiħ
• Manchu: ᠰᠠᡳᡴᠠᠨ (saikan), ᡥᠣᠴᡳᡴᠣᠨ (hocikon)
• Manx: aalin, bwaagh, bwoyagh
• Maori: waiwaiā, pīwari (mi), hūmārie, hūmārire, purotu, rerehua, tau (mi), ātanga, ātaahua
• Marathi: सुंदर (sundar)
• Mazanderani: قشنگ, خجیر
• Middle English: beautevous, wynsom
• Mòcheno: schea'
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: сайхан (mn) (sajxan), гуа (mn) (gua), үзэсгэлэнтэй (üzesgelentej)

• Navajo: nizhóní, nizhóní yeeʼ
• Norman: bieau m, belle f
• Northern Khanty: хурамӑӈ (huramăṇ) (Kazym)
• Northern Thai: please add this translation if you can
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: vakker (no)

• Occitan: bèl (oc) m, bèla (oc) f, bèu (oc) m
• Odia: ସୁନ୍ଦର (sundara)
• Okinawan: 清らさん, 美らさん (ちゅらさん, churasan)
• Old Church Slavonic:

  Glagolitic: ⰾⱑⱂⱏ (lěpŭ)

  Cyrillic: лѣпъ (lěpŭ), красьнъ (krasĭnŭ)

• Old East Slavic: лѣпъ (lěpŭ), красьнъ (krasĭnŭ)
• Old English: fæġer, wlitiġ
• Old Javanese: bĕcik
• Old Norse: fagr
• Old Occitan: bel
• Pangasinan: malimgas
• Pashto: ښکلی (ps) (ẍkwëlay), حسين (ps) (hasin), زيبا (ps) (zebā)
• Persian:

  Classical Persian: زیبَا (fa) (zēbā), قَشَنْگ (fa) (qašang)

  Dari: مَقْبُول (fa) (maqbūl), زیبَا (fa) (zēbā), قَشَنْگ (fa) (qašang)

  Iranian Persian: زیبا (fa) (zibâ), قَشَنْگ (fa) (ğašang), خوشْگِل (fa) (xošgel), خوش‌تیپ (xoš-tip) (handsome, of men)

• Plautdietsch: schmock, scheen
• Polish: piękny (pl), fajny (pl)
• Portuguese: belo (pt) m, bela (pt) f, bonito (pt) m, bonita (pt) f, lindo (pt) m, linda (pt) f
• Punjabi: ਸੁਹਣਾ (pa) (suhṇā)
• Quechua: sumaq (qu), şumag, k'acha
• Romagnol: bël
• Romani: śukar
• Romanian: frumos (ro) m or n, frumoasă (ro) f
• Romansch: bel m, bella f, bi m, biala f
• Russian: краси́вый (ru) (krasívyj), прекра́сный (ru) (prekrásnyj), приго́жий (ru) (prigóžij) (folklore, poetic), ле́пый (ru) (lépyj) (archaic)
• Sanskrit: सुन्दर (sa) (sundara), सुरूप (sa) (surūpa), मञ्जु (sa) (mañju)
• Sardinian: bedhu m, bedha f, bellu m, bella f
• Scots: bonny
• Scottish Gaelic: àlainn, bòidheach, brèagha, fèilleil, grinn, maiseach, rìomhach, sgèimheach
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: ле̑п, лије̑п, лип

  Roman: lȇp (sh), lijȇp (sh), lip

• Shan: ႁၢင်ႈလီ (shn) (hāang lǐi)
• Sicilian: beddu (scn) m, bedda (scn) f
• Sidamo: xuʼma
• Sinhalese: ලස්සන (si) (lassana), සුන්දර (sundara)
• Slovak: krásny, pekný
• Slovene: lep (sl)
• Sorbian:

  Lower Sorbian: rědny

• Southern Thai: please add this translation if you can
• Spanish: hermoso (es), bello (es), lindo (es), guapo (es), bonito (es), fermoso, bel (es) m, bela (es) f
• Sranan Tongo: moi
• Sudovian: grazi, skaista f
• Swahili: zuri (sw)
• Swedish: fin (sv), vacker (sv), skön (sv)
• Tagalog: maganda (tl)
• Tajik: зебо (tg) (zebo), хушрӯ (xušrü), қашанг (qašang)
• Talysh: ğəşəng, reçin, rəvoşin, xos, cıvon
• Tamil: அழகிய (ta) (aḻakiya)
• Tatar: матур (matur), гүзәл (güzäl)
• Telugu: అందమైన (te) (andamaina), చక్కని (te) (cakkani)
• Thai: สุนทร (th) (sǔn-tɔɔn), สวย (th) (sǔai), งาม (th) (ngaam)
• Tocharian B: kartse
• Tokunoshima: 清らさい (きゅらさい, kyurasai)
• Tswana: -ntle
• Turkish: güzel (tr)
• Turkmen: görmegeý, gözel, gelşikli
• Tutong: lawa'
• Ukrainian: вродли́вий (vrodlývyj), краси́вий (uk) (krasývyj), га́рний (uk) (hárnyj), хоро́ший (xoróšyj), фа́йний (fájnyj), кра́сний (uk) (krásnyj)
• Urdu: خُوبْصُورَت (xūbsūrat), سُنْدَر (sundar), حَسِین (hasīn), پْیارا (pyārā), قَشَن٘گ (qaśaṅg), زیبا (zebā)
• Uyghur: گۈزەل (güzel)
• Uzbek: yoqimli (uz), goʻzal (uz)
• Venetan: beło m, beła f
• Vietnamese: đẹp (vi), xinh đẹp (vi)
• Volapük: jönik (vo), (augmentative) lejönik (vo)
• Walloon: bea (wa) m, bele (wa) f
• Welsh: hardd (cy), prydferth (cy), arddun
• West Coast Bajau: lawa'
• West Frisian: moai, kreas
• Yiddish: שיין (sheyn)
• Zhuang: baenzsau, gacae, giengh

of weather: pleasant, clear

• Armenian: հաճելի (hy) (hačeli)
• Bulgarian: ху́бав (bg) (húbav)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 靚／靓 (leng³), 好天 (hou² tin¹)

  Hokkien: 好天 (zh-min-nan) (hó-thiⁿ)

  Mandarin: 好天 (zh) (hǎotiān)

• Dutch: mooi (nl)
• Finnish: kaunis (fi)
• French: beau (fr) m
• German: heiter (de), schön (de)
• Hebrew: נאה (he) (na'e)
• Hungarian: szép (hu)
• Irish: álainn, aoibhinn, galánta, breá
• Italian: (before "tempo") ^{(please verify)} bel (it), (after "tempo") ^{(please verify)} bello (it)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: خۆش (xoş), فێنک (ckb) (fênk)

• Limburgish: sjoen (li)
• Macedonian: убаво n (ubavo)
• Malay: indah (ms)
• Maori: paruhi
• Portuguese: limpo (pt)
• Russian: я́сный (ru) (jásnyj), прекра́сный (ru) (prekrásnyj)
• Slovak: pekný, krásny
• Spanish: bueno (es), despejado (es), alegre (es)
• Swedish: fin (sv), vacker (sv)
• Tamil: அழகிய (ta) (aḻakiya)
• Telugu: ఆహ్లాదకరమైన (āhlādakaramaina)
• Ukrainian: ясни́й (uk) (jasnýj)

well executed

• Finnish: kaunis (fi), loistava (fi)
• Hungarian: szép (hu)
• Italian: magnifico (it), stupendo (it), splendido (it), fantastico (it)
• Macedonian: убав (ubav)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: nydelig (no), enestående

  Nynorsk: nydeleg, eneståande

• Slovak: krásny
• Ukrainian: бездога́нний (uk) (bezdohánnyj), прекра́сний (prekrásnyj)

as a pro-sentence

• German: toll (de)
• Malay: cantik (ms)
• Spanish: bravo (es)

ironic: how unfortunate

• Finnish: loistava (fi)
• German: toll (de), schön (de)
• Hungarian: szép (hu)
• Macedonian: убав (ubav)
• Malay: cantik (ms)

Noun

beautiful (plural beautifuls)

1. Someone who is beautiful. Can be used as a term of address.

   The man was faithful to his wife, ignoring the many blonde beautifuls who surrounded him wherever he went.

   Hey, beautiful!