beauty

noun

beau·​ty ˈbyü-tē 

plural beauties

1

: the quality or group of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or the mind : loveliness

exploring the natural beauty of the island

A thing of beauty is a joy forever …

—John Keats

Buddhism has taught me that inner beauty, the beauty that comes from loving and accepting yourself, imperfections and all, radiates to the outside.

—Tina Turner, quoted at nbcnews.com

often, specifically : the quality of being physically attractive

… she relies on a minimalist makeup routine to enhance her natural beauty.

—Kiana Murden

… knows how to move, which is surprising given his muscled bulk, and is at ease with his beauty.

—Manohla Dargis

—often used before another noun

beauty products

the beauty industry

my morning beauty routine

Our culture's beauty standards and stereotypes are not going to disappear overnight, but we have made some progress.

—Allie Bloom

2

a

: a person (especially a woman) who is beautiful

The brunette beauty added a pair of … sky-high platform heels … to complete her camera-ready look.

—Isabelle Casey

b

: something that is beautiful or excellent

That's a beauty of a car.

went fishing and caught a couple of beauties

Our favorite apple tree … is a real beauty. Standing over 20 feet tall, it produces buckets and buckets of apples.

—Steve McBride

—often used ironically

That mistake was a beauty!

3

: an excellent or appealing quality

"… If you hate it—just paint over it. That's the beauty of working with paint."

—Annie Sloan, quoted at theguardian.com (London)

One of the beauties of cast iron cookware is that it can be used almost anywhere.

—Lily Alig

4

physics : bottom sense 9

Synonyms

• aesthetics
• esthetics
• attractiveness
• beauteousness
• beautifulness
• comeliness
• cuteness
• fairness
• gorgeousness
• handsomeness
• looks
• loveliness
• prettiness
• sightliness

Examples of beauty in a Sentence

We explored the natural beauty of the island.

I'm learning to appreciate the beauty of poetry.

We explored the natural beauties of the island.

She was one of the great beauties of her time.

Recent Examples on the Web

Following the holiday season, the beauty and flaws of relationships and connections are magnified, encouraging everyone to reflect. —Molly Peck, USA TODAY, 17 Dec. 2024

Understanding Platonic Love The interaction between Izzy and her roommate highlights the beauty of platonic love—a deep, non-romantic affection between individuals. —Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024

The beauty company saw quick results making sense of its massive trove of data, which was kept in different formats and hard to coordinate. —Evan Clark, WWD, 16 Dec. 2024

For yourself or someone else, a look at the best new beauty products to consider as 2024 comes to a close. —Kiana Murden, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English beaute, bealte, borrowed from Anglo-French, from bel, beau "beautiful, good-looking" (going back to Latin bellus) + -te -ty — more at beau

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing beauty

• bathing beauty
• beauty bush
• beauty contest
• beauty is in the eye of the beholder
• beauty mark
• beauty part
• beauty queen
• beauty shop
• beauty spot
• meadow beauty
• spring beauty
• the beauty part

Kids Definition

beauty

noun

beau·​ty ˈbyüt-ē 

plural beauties

1

: the qualities of a person or a thing that give pleasure to the senses

2

: a lovely person or thing

especially : a lovely woman

3

: an outstanding example

that's a beauty of a black eye

Etymology

Middle English beaute "beauty," derived from early French bel "beautiful," from Latin bellus "pretty" — related to beau, belle