Definition of handsomenext
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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective handsome differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of handsome are beautiful, comely, fair, lovely, and pretty. While all these words mean "exciting sensuous or aesthetic pleasure," handsome suggests aesthetic pleasure due to proportion, symmetry, or elegance.

a handsome Georgian mansion

When is it sensible to use beautiful instead of handsome?

While the synonyms beautiful and handsome are close in meaning, beautiful applies to whatever excites the keenest of pleasure to the senses and stirs emotion through the senses.

beautiful mountain scenery

How are the words comely and handsome related?

Comely is like handsome in suggesting what is coolly approved rather than emotionally responded to.

the comely grace of a dancer

When could fair be used to replace handsome?

The synonyms fair and handsome are sometimes interchangeable, but fair suggests beauty because of purity, flawlessness, or freshness.

fair of face

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

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

a lovely melody

When would pretty be a good substitute for handsome?

The words pretty and handsome can be used in similar contexts, but 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 handsome Our antennae immediately switch up when Hannah starts getting closer to one of her Act One classmates, Henry (Nate Mann), handsome and a little bit older. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 12 June 2026 What to do nearby Oglethorpe Avenue is one of Savannah’s prettiest streets, lined with live oak trees and handsome mansions. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 June 2026 At one event in the backyard of a handsome home in Concord, Emanuel greeted voters and practiced a stump speech that highlighted strains on the middle class and the excesses of the tax system. ABC News, 9 June 2026 The European film commissioners tried to steer them away from casting a handsome actor as the lead in The Man Who Sold His Skin, Cheikhrouha said. Jada Yuan, HollywoodReporter, 7 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for handsome
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handsome
Adjective
  • And being obese became beautiful and healthy and then COVID happened and that was another crazy moment for me.
    Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 18 June 2026
  • The rooms with bunk beds and lodges are especially nice for spreading out a bit, and are a quick walk from the main building hosting the restaurant and a beautiful library/lounge on the upper floor (yet another great Northern Lights spot).
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 June 2026
Adjective
  • Loving Venus moves through your 11th House of Friends and trines imaginative Neptune in your 7th House of Partnership, so collaboration feels graceful and heartfelt.
    Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 16 June 2026
  • Others were just as proud, albeit less graceful with their language.
    Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 15 June 2026
Adjective
  • In Geneva, Switzerland’s second-largest city and a hub of United Nations institutions and humanitarian groups, early results showed about two-thirds of voters in the region opposed the measure.
    Jamey Keaten, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026
  • Spain faces Cape Verde in its first match of the tournament on Monday, in a game it is expected to win by a large margin.
    Ben Church, CNN Money, 15 June 2026
Adjective
  • Added to that underwhelming start were nine turnovers, all of which contributed to a middling offensive performance that helped San Antonio build its sizable lead.
    Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 14 June 2026
  • The OneXPlayer 3 does feel a little larger than the other two (already sizable) devices, given its larger screen.
    Matthew Buzzi, PC Magazine, 14 June 2026
Adjective
  • District officials believe the aging of existing farmers with no succession plans, less valuable soils in that area, and the current low prices for commodities make financial incentives more attractive and the target attainable.
    Allen Best, Denver Post, 14 June 2026
  • Income potential is equally attractive.
    ByBryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026
Adjective
  • Attendees marked the historic occasion dressed in traditional barongs — formalwear finely woven from piña, or pineapple fibers — as well as elegant Filipiniana outfits and ternos, the traditional formal gowns instantly recognizable by their structured butterfly sleeves.
    Ryan Macasero, Mercury News, 13 June 2026
  • Stay at Lucknam Park, an elegant country retreat near Bath.
    Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2026
Adjective
  • Investigators determined John Parker Roe derived a substantial portion of his income (over 50%) from the organization and that Collins used her business, Lume Lume Lume, to conceal funds disguised as consulting or wellness services.
    Christa Swanson, CBS News, 14 June 2026
  • Another is that Texas law accords substantial deference to private associations in their application of membership rules.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 June 2026
Adjective
  • Expect considerable tree damage.
    KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT, Kansas City Star, 14 June 2026
  • With its joyless austerity, the dish bears almost no resemblance to actual chicken paprikás, which is boisterous and dense and, crucially, should involve a considerable portion of hearty starches to sop it all up.
    Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 14 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Handsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handsome. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.

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