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What is the difference between beautiful and handsome?

beautiful | handsome | Synonyms |

Handsome is a synonym of beautiful.

Handsome is a antonym of beautiful.



As adjectives the difference between beautiful and handsome

is that beautiful is attractive and possessing charm while handsome is dexterous; skillful.

As a verb handsome is

to render handsome.

beautiful

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Attractive and possessing charm.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
    • , chapter=5 citation , passage=‘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.’}}
  • (of the weather) Pleasant; clear.
  • Well executed.
  • (as a pro-sentence ) How beautiful that is!
    • (referring to an athlete catching a ball)
  • (as a pro-sentence; ironic ) How unfortunate that is!

    • Usage notes

    The comparatives beautifuler' and '''beautifuller''', and the superlatives '''beautifulest''' and ' beautifullest have also occasionally been used, but are considered dated or obsolete.

    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 * great, marvellous/marvelous, nice, very nice, wonderful (any of these can be prefixed with an intensifier such as'' bloody, damned ''or just) * See also

    Antonyms

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

    Derived terms

    * beautiful armadillo * beautiful game * beautiful people * beautifully * beautifulness

    Related terms

    * beauty ** See also

    Statistics

    * English words suffixed with -ful 1000 English basic words

    handsome

    English

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • (obsolete, said of things and people) Dexterous; skillful
  • *
  • *
  • (of a man) Visually attractive; pleasant looking.
    • a handsome' man; a ' handsome garment, house, tree, horse.
  • (of a woman) Striking, impressive and elegantly proportioned, though not typically beautiful.
  • Suitable or fit in action; marked with propriety and ease; graceful; becoming; appropriate.
    • a handsome style, etc.
  • *
  • Generous or noble in character
    • Handsome' is as ' handsome does.
  • Ample; moderately large.
    • a handsome salary
  • *
  • Having a good appearance
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=November 5 , author=Phil Dawkes , title=QPR 2 - 3 Man City , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=City have lapped up the plaudits this season for a series of handsome wins but manager Roberto Mancini has demanded that his side also learn to grind out results when they do not play well. He now has an example to point to.}}

    Derived terms

    * do the handsome thing

    Synonyms

    * (attractive) pretty

    Verb

    (handsom)
  • (obsolete) To render handsome.