Definition of 'beautiful'
1. adjective
She was a very beautiful woman.
To me he is the most beautiful child in the world.
2. adjective
If you describe something as beautiful, you mean that it is very attractive or pleasing.
New England is beautiful.
It was a beautiful morning.
He has beautiful manners.
3. adjective
You can describe something that someone does as beautiful when they do it very skilfully.
That's a beautiful shot!
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Video: pronunciation of 'beautiful'
adjective
1.
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
noun
Idioms:
SYNONYMY NOTE: beautiful is applied to that which gives the highest degree of pleasure to the senses or to
the mind and suggests that the object of delight approximates one's conception of
an ideal; , lovely refers to that which delights by inspiring affection or warm admiration; , handsome implies attractiveness by reason of pleasing proportions, symmetry, elegance, etc.
and carries connotations of masculinity, dignity, or impressiveness; , pretty implies a dainty, delicate, or graceful quality in that which pleases and carries
connotations of femininity or diminutiveness; , comely applies to persons only and suggests a wholesome attractiveness of form and features
rather than a high degree of beauty; , fair1 suggests beauty that is fresh, bright, or flawless and, when applied to persons,
is used esp. of complexion and features; , good-looking is closely equivalent to handsome or pretty, suggesting a pleasing appearance but not expressing the fine distinctions of either
word; , beauteous, equivalent to , beautiful in poetry and lofty prose, is now often used in humorously disparaging references
to beauty OPPOSITE: ugly
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms
adverb
Example sentences containing 'beautiful'
These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content.
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The car was tricky to drive but beautiful to look at. The Sun (2016)You also get to see some really beautiful places. The Sun (2016)Going to exhibitions gives you a chance to switch off and look at something beautiful. Times, Sunday Times (2016)To visit as a tourist is to see one of the world 's most beautiful countries. Times, Sunday Times (2017)I said that was sad because she is a very beautiful woman. The Sun (2016)He was a beautiful person. The Sun (2017)Dogs don't necessarily have to be perfect to be beautiful - a lopsided ear or wonky smile just adds to their personality. The Sun (2017)I can vouch for truly beautiful autumn weather this time last week in the Lake District. Times, Sunday Times (2016)So I made sure that when she went and visited that it was a beautiful, sunny day. Times, Sunday Times (2016)There are lots of beautiful people with perfect teeth looking chiselled and determined. Times, Sunday Times (2008)The charms of a wonderful woman and a beautiful city are hard to beat. Times, Sunday Times (2009)It is such a beautiful sunny day but our lives have been torn apart. The Sun (2014)She was a beautiful person as well so it was an honour to sing with her. The Sun (2011)The weather was beautiful and our little house gorgeous. Times, Sunday Times (2010)The battle was still unfolding around us but the world seemed a greener and more beautiful place. Times, Sunday Times (2009)You can find something beautiful and cry simply because it is so beautiful. Times, Sunday Times (2006)Those of a certain age will remember when small meant beautiful. Times, Sunday Times (2011)She was once a beautiful woman too proud to accept human suitors. The Times Literary Supplement (2010)She is more beautiful in person than in pictures. Times, Sunday Times (2015)Now time to enjoy this beautiful weather. The Sun (2014)It is a beautiful place and the public are wonderful and the atmosphere is exciting. The Sun (2011)This has the ring of something beautiful! Times, Sunday Times (2012)This is only the case if aesthetic is understood to mean beautiful. The Times Literary Supplement (2013)It is one of the most perfect and beautiful moments in all of opera. Times, Sunday Times (2007)The sky was sunny and beautiful. Times, Sunday Times (2011)My world was my beautiful wife. The Sun (2010)
Quotations
Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful Hopes and Fears for Art
Remember that the most beautiful things in the world are the most useless; peacocks and lilies for instance Stones of Venice
I never saw an ugly thing in my life: for let the form of an object be what it may, - light, shade, and perspective will always make it beautiful
Things are beautiful if you love them Mademoiselle Colombe
Trends of 'beautiful'
Very Common. beautiful is one of the 4000 most commonly used words in the Collins dictionary
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Translations for 'beautiful'
British English: beautiful
/ˈbjuːtɪfʊl/ ADJECTIVE
Beautiful means attractive to look at.
She was a very beautiful woman.
- American English: beautiful
- Arabic: جَمِيل
- Brazilian Portuguese: bonito
- Chinese: 美丽
- Croatian: lijep
- Czech: krásný
- Danish: smuk
- Dutch: mooi
- European Spanish: precioso bonito
- Finnish: kaunis
- French: beau
- German: schön
- Greek: όμορφος
- Italian: bello
- Japanese: 美しい
- Korean: 아름다운
- Norwegian: vakker
- Polish: piękny
- European Portuguese: bonito
- Romanian: frumos
- Russian: красивый
- Spanish: precioso lindo
- Swedish: vacker
- Thai: สวยงาม
- Turkish: güzel
- Ukrainian: красивий
- Vietnamese: đẹp
Nearby words of 'beautiful'
Related Terms of 'beautiful'
Source
Definition of beautiful from the
Collins English Dictionary
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