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Comely vs Beautiful - What's the difference?

comely | beautiful |

As adjectives the difference between comely and beautiful

is that comely is pleasing or attractive to the eye while beautiful is attractive and possessing charm.

comely

English

Adjective

(en-adj)
  • (dated, of a person) Pleasing or attractive to the eye.
  • * South
  • He that is comely when old and decrepit, surely was very beautiful when he was young.
  • * Milton
  • Not once perceive their foul disfigurement / But boast themselves more comely than before.
  • * 1918 , (Edgar Rice Burroughs), , Chapter IX
  • The chief's name was To-jo, and his household consisted of seven females and himself. These women were much more comely , or rather less hideous than those of Tsa's people; one of them, even, was almost pretty, being less hairy and having a rather nice skin, with high coloring.
  • (archaic) Suitable or becoming; proper; agreeable.
  • * Shakespeare
  • This is a happier and more comely time / Than when these fellows ran about the streets, / Crying confusion.
  • * Bible, Psalms cxlvii. 1
  • It is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely .

    Synonyms

    * pulchritudinous

    Antonyms

    * (of a person) homely

    Derived terms

    * comeliness

    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