comeliness 1 of 2

comely

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adjective

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective comely differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of comely are beautiful, fair, handsome, lovely, and pretty. While all these words mean "exciting sensuous or aesthetic pleasure," comely is like handsome in suggesting what is coolly approved rather than emotionally responded to.

the comely grace of a dancer

When is it sensible to use beautiful instead of comely?

The words beautiful and comely can be used in similar contexts, but beautiful applies to whatever excites the keenest of pleasure to the senses and stirs emotion through the senses.

beautiful mountain scenery

When would fair be a good substitute for comely?

Although the words fair and comely have much in common, fair suggests beauty because of purity, flawlessness, or freshness.

fair of face

When might handsome be a better fit than comely?

In some situations, the words handsome and comely are roughly equivalent. However, handsome suggests aesthetic pleasure due to proportion, symmetry, or elegance.

a handsome Georgian mansion

How do lovely and beautiful relate to one another, in the sense of comely?

Lovely is close to beautiful but applies to a narrower range of emotional excitation in suggesting the graceful, delicate, or exquisite.

a lovely melody

Where would pretty be a reasonable alternative to comely?

The meanings of pretty and comely largely overlap; however, 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 comeliness
Adjective
Instead, his big conversion comes later, after Rafael takes a fist to the face for dancing with a local tough guy’s comely fiancée. Peter Debruge, Variety, 23 Aug. 2023 Connecticut-raised Troy’s debut novel, Floating, imagines a dinky, dusty town in Arizona where its comely protagonist, Ruby, falls in love with her husband’s estranged, cowboy brother. Hazlitt, 4 May 2022 The comely stars, who are excellent at trolling each other online, are already parents to daughters James, 4, and Inez, 2. Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2019 Furthermore, the plant is topped by comely flowers, which in time proudly adorned the button-holes of no less than Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, in their day intentionally marketing the potato to a then-skeptical proletariat. Bill St. John, The Denver Post, 9 Oct. 2019 See All Example Sentences for comeliness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for comeliness
Noun
  • Lisa Wore Literal Claws for Nails During Her Coachella Performance Hailey Bieber's New Nail Color Is Totally Unexpected Now, watch Rachel Zegler get ready: Follow Allure on Instagram and TikTok, or subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on all things beauty.
    Kara Nesvig, Allure, 21 Apr. 2025
  • In addition to Eucerin's Radiant Tone Collection, Hale's top beauty tips are nothing if not practical.
    Catherine Santino, People.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • His being handsome, funny and not known for comedy was a real asset.
    Rosa Escandon, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
  • Keep them shiny and spot-free with common household ingredients already in your cupboard, for a handsome set that will last for years.
    Miles Walls, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The vast majority of the city’s industrial jobs remained low paying, dangerous, and only attractive to the most desperate Americans until the 1940s.
    Made by History, Time, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Offering reliable weekly service schedules makes this attractive to busy homeowners.
    Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • 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
Adjective
  • 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
  • This is a lovely window to make contracts or enter into negotiations.
    Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • His grousing is interrupted by some very cute uncle moments with Maria and Tommy’s son, Benji, then Joel takes off just as Tommy gets back.
    Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 13 Apr. 2025
  • Snake Bird Vintage has a fantastic array of clothing and accessories in a cute repurposed garage.
    Kara Franker, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Of course, the star of the show is the pretty, spring-ready pattern with its prominent tulips.
    Carly Totten, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Apr. 2025
  • In Weekend 2 The Happiest Hour Drift Hotel Palm Springs gets bonus points for offering up resort day passes to its pretty pool with the killer mountain views, but also high fives for a weekly poolside happy hour on Thursdays.
    Leslie Kelly, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • This is the year to create a gorgeous pathway through your yard or gardens.
    Christopher Murray, FOXNews.com, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Much like the gift of a gorgeous spring day in Kansas City. Reach Sherry Kuehl at snarkyinthesuburbs@gmail.com, on Facebook at Snarky in the Suburbs @snarkynsuburbs, on Instagram @snarky.in.the.suburbs, and snarkyinthesuburbs.com.
    Sherry Kuehl, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Comeliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/comeliness. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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