INDEX:
1. woman
2. man
3. child
4. animal
5. thing/building
6. place/countryside/view
7. a beautiful appearance
8. dressed, arranged, decorated etc in a beautiful way
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ UGLY
see also
↑ ATTRACT/ATTRACTION
↑ SEXY
↑ IMPRESS
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1. woman
▷ beautiful /ˈbjuːtɪf ə l, ˈbjuːtəf ə l/ [adjective]
use this about a woman who is extremely attractive in a way that is fairly unusual and special, so that people notice and admire her :
▪ Standing in the doorway was a beautiful woman with long black hair and green eyes.
▪ Karen was even more beautiful than I had remembered.
▪ She has a beautiful smile.
▪ You look beautiful tonight.
▷ good-looking /ˌgʊd ˈlʊkɪŋ◂/ [adjective]
use this about a woman who is nice to look at and has an attractive face and body :
▪ Ginny was tall and good-looking.
▪ A good-looking young woman in a business suit came into the room.
▪ She seems to get better-looking the older she gets.
▷ pretty /ˈprɪti/ [adjective]
use this about a young woman or girl who has an attractive face and is good-looking, but not in an unusual way :
▪ Maureen’s really pretty, isn’t she?
▪ A pretty girl like you should have a boyfriend.
▪ She has a pretty face.
▪ Doesn’t she look pretty with her hair up?
▷ attractive /əˈtræktɪv/ [adjective]
use this about a woman who is good-looking, especially in a way that makes people sexually interested in her :
▪ Frances was a charming and attractive girl.
▪ Bob’s wife is a very attractive woman
find somebody attractive
▪ A lot of men find plump women attractive.
▷ nice-looking /ˌnaɪs ˈlʊkɪŋ◂/ [adjective] especially spoken
use this about a woman who looks pleasant and friendly but is not extremely pretty :
▪ My mother was always a nice-looking woman.
▷ cute /kjuːt/ [adjective] especially American, spoken
use this about a girl or young woman who is pretty and sexually attractive :
▪ Do you like Jill Anderson? I think she’s cute!
▪ Heidi is the cutest girl in my class.
▷ gorgeous /ˈgɔːʳdʒəs/ [adjective] especially spoken
use this to emphasize that a woman is extremely attractive, in a sexual way :
▪ That woman on ‘Baywatch’ - I think she’s gorgeous.
▪ You look absolutely gorgeous in that dress!
▷ glamorous /ˈglæmərəs/ [adjective]
use this about a woman who looks like a beautiful actress or as if she is very rich, and has an attractive body and wears expensive clothes :
▪ The picture showed a glamorous young woman sitting in a sports car.
▪ glamorous Hollywood movie stars of the 1950s
▷ stunning /ˈstʌnɪŋ/ [adjective]
use this about a woman who is extremely beautiful and sexually attractive, in a way that everyone notices and admires :
▪ Men always stared when she looked good, and today she was stunning.
▪ Mother came out of her room, looking stunning in her silk dressing gown.
▷ elegant /ˈelɪgənt, ˈeləgənt/ [adjective]
use this about a woman who is tall and attractive, and wears clothes that are simple but have a lot of good style :
▪ An elegant young woman sat at the next table, sipping a cocktail.
▪ Jody manages to look elegant, even in a simple pantsuit.
▷ striking /ˈstraɪkɪŋ/ [adjective]
use this about a woman who is very attractive, especially because she has a particular feature that is beautiful and unusual :
▪ Even at 75, Alice is still a striking woman.
▪ Celia had striking brown eyes like some Russian icon.
▪ With her mass of black hair and pale skin she looked very striking.
▷ lovely /ˈlʌvli/ [adjective] especially British
if a woman looks lovely, she looks very attractive :
▪ He told his wife that evening that she had never looked lovelier.
▪ Claire was young and lovely, but rather shy.
▷ ravishing /ˈrævɪʃɪŋ/ [adjective]
very good-looking and sexually attractive - used especially in humorous descriptions :
▪ The farmer had three daughters, all three blonde and ravishing.
▪ Cynthia looked positively ravishing this evening.
▷ a woman of great beauty /ə ˌwʊmən əv ˌgreɪt ˈbjuːti/ [countable noun] written
a very beautiful woman :
▪ In her youth she had been a woman of great beauty.
2. man
▷ good-looking /ˌgʊd ˈlʊkɪŋ◂/ [adjective]
use this about a man who is nice to look at but in a fairly ordinary way :
▪ Paul is very good-looking, but he’s too arrogant.
▪ She showed me a photo of a good-looking young soldier.
▷ handsome /ˈhæns ə m/ [adjective] especially written
use this about a man who is good-looking, especially one who is tall and looks strong :
▪ Lena had fallen in love with a rich, handsome Frenchman.
▪ My brother was two years older than me, taller, and more handsome.
▪ He looks really handsome in his uniform, doesn’t he?
▷ attractive /əˈtræktɪv/ [adjective]
use this about a man who is good-looking, especially in a way that makes people sexually interested in him :
▪ He was a tall attractive man in his mid-forties.
find somebody attractive
▪ I don’t find those body-builders with huge muscles attractive at all.
▷ cute /kjuːt/ [adjective] especially American, spoken
use this about a young man who looks nice and is sexually attractive :
kind of cute
spoken
▪ I don’t know why she won’t go out with him. I think he’s kind of cute.
▷ gorgeous /ˈgɔːʳdʒəs/ [adjective] especially spoken
use this to emphasize that a man is extremely attractive in a sexual way :
▪ Look at that guy over there. Isn’t he gorgeous?
▷ nice-looking /ˌnaɪs ˈlʊkɪŋ◂/ [adjective] especially spoken
use this about a man who looks pleasant and friendly but is not extremely attractive :
▪ I suppose he’s quite nice-looking, but he’s not really my type.
▪ Chris is a nice-looking guy with a good sense of humor.
▷ hunky /ˈhʌŋki/ [adjective] informal
very attractive and strong-looking :
▪ Have you seen the new sports instructor? He’s really hunky.
▪ The show stars hunky Kevin Sorbo as Hercules.
▷ rugged /ˈrʌgɪd, ˈrʌgəd/ [adjective]
good-looking with strong features that are often not perfect :
▪ Ann admired his rugged good looks.
▪ He was solidly built and looked like a rugged quarterback.
▷ striking /ˈstraɪkɪŋ/ [adjective]
very attractive, especially because you have a particular feature that is attractive and unusual :
▪ He had a striking profile, with a large nose that reminded people of a Roman statue.
▷ be a fine figure of a man /biː ə ˌfaɪn ˈfɪgər əv ə ˌmænǁ-ˈfɪgjər-/ [verb phrase]
to be a strong-looking, attractive man - used especially in humorous descriptions :
▪ Her husband was a fine figure of a man - tall, broad-chested and with a bushy black moustache.
▷ dashing /ˈdæʃɪŋ/ [adjective]
good-looking and well-dressed in a way that makes people notice you - used especially in literature :
▪ She left her family to move to Argentina with her lover, a dashing polo player.
▪ Steve was looking very dashing in a light-coloured suit.
3. child
▷ beautiful /ˈbjuːtɪf ə l, ˈbjuːtəf ə l/ [adjective]
use this about a child who is so good-looking that everyone notices and admires him or her :
▪ Parents always believe that their baby is the most beautiful baby in the world.
▪ How did two people like Sara and Rob have such beautiful children?
▷ lovely /ˈlʌvli/ [adjective] especially British
use this about a child who looks nice and has a pleasant, friendly character :
▪ They’ve got three lovely kids.
▪ Rosie’s a lovely baby.
▪ Don’t the Schultz sisters look lovely?
▷ cute /kjuːt/ [adjective] informal
use this about a child who looks attractive and has a happy or amusing character :
▪ He’s really naughty, but he’s so cute.
▪ You were such a cute baby!
▪ Doesn’t he look cute in that baseball cap!
4. animal
▷ beautiful /ˈbjuːtɪf ə l, ˈbjuːtəf ə l/ [adjective]
use this about an animal that looks extremely attractive and impressive :
▪ a beautiful bird with bright blue feathers
▪ That’s a beautiful dog. What kind is he?
▷ pretty /ˈprɪti/ [adjective]
use this about an animal that is attractive, especially because it is small or is brightly coloured :
pretty bird/fish/cat/feathers/fur etc
▪ They had an aquarium with lots of pretty little fish.
▷ cute also sweet especially British /kjuːt, swiːt/ [adjective]
use this about a pet or a baby animal that looks nice in a way that makes people want to look after it :
▪ cute little kittens
▪ She has a funny old dog - he’s really sweet!
▷ magnificent /mægˈnɪfɪs ə nt, mægˈnɪfəs ə nt/ [adjective]
use this about an animal or a large bird that is very beautiful and impressive because it is large and strong or beautifully coloured :
▪ The horse was a magnificent creature with a gleaming jet black coat.
▪ a magnificent golden eagle
▪ The Siberian Tiger is a magnificent animal.
5. thing/building
▷ beautiful /ˈbjuːtɪf ə l, ˈbjuːtəf ə l/ also lovely /ˈlʌvli/ especially British [adjective]
use this about a thing or building that looks extremely good, and gives you a feeling of pleasure :
▪ ‘Do you like the house?’ ‘Like it? It’s beautiful!’
▪ Thanks for the flowers - they’re lovely!
▪ This is one of Europe’s loveliest churches.
▷ pretty /ˈprɪti/ [adjective]
use this about an object that is small and delicate, or things in your home such as curtains and carpets :
▪ The room was decorated with pretty wallpaper with yellow flowers on it.
▪ What a pretty watch!
▷ magnificent /mægˈnɪfɪs ə nt, mægˈnɪfəs ə nt/ [adjective]
very beautiful and very impressive - use this about a large and impressive building or piece of furniture, especially an old one :
▪ The room was dominated by a magnificent four-poster bed.
▪ a magnificent 15th century castle
▷ superb /sjuːˈpɜːʳb, suː-ǁsuː-/ [adjective]
extremely beautiful and of the highest quality :
▪ The lilies we got from the flower market were absolutely superb.
▪ a superb collection of Chinese porcelain
▪ In the center of the crown is a superb diamond.
▷ gorgeous /ˈgɔːʳdʒəs/ [adjective] especially British, spoken
use this about a beautiful thing that you admire very much :
▪ I love your dress! It’s such a gorgeous colour!
▪ The apartment had been furnished in rich, deep colors and gorgeous fabrics.
▷ exquisite /ɪkˈskwɪzɪt, ɪkˈskwɪzət, ˈekskwɪ-/ [adjective]
very beautiful - use this about jewellery or other things that have been designed with a lot of care and made with a lot of skill :
▪ an exquisite handcarved ivory brooch
▪ The sets and costumes for the dance performance were exquisite.
▷ elegant /ˈelɪgənt, ˈeləgənt/ [adjective]
use this about a building, a piece of furniture, or a piece of clothing that is beautifully designed in a simple but usually expensive way :
▪ We first met him at an elegant hotel in the uptown district of Manhattan.
▪ an elegant rosewood dining table
▪ She was wearing an elegant black suit.
▷ attractive /əˈtræktɪv/ [adjective]
pleasant to look at :
▪ Kitchen utensils should be attractive as well as functional.
▪ This attractive book is an ideal gift for any young baseball fan.
▷ lovely /ˈlʌvli/ [adjective] especially British
pleasant to look at :
▪ The dress was such a lovely colour, a deep blue that really suited her.
▪ It was a lovely big house with a big garden out the back.
▷ splendid /ˈsplendɪd, ˈsplendəd/ [adjective] written
something such as a building, piece of furniture, or work of art that is splendid is beautiful and impressive :
▪ In the centre of the room was a splendid 18th century oak table.
▪ Wealthy nobles inhabited splendid villas in the surrounding countryside.
▷ stunning /ˈstʌnɪŋ/ [adjective]
something that is stunning is very beautiful so that everyone notices and admires it :
▪ Rafaella wore a stunning white satin wedding gown.
▪ Knox’s metal statues are stunning.
▷ artistic /ɑːʳˈtɪstɪk/ [adjective]
an arrangement, design etc that is artistic looks attractive and has been done with skill and imagination :
▪ I love your Christmas decorations - they’re very artistic.
▪ The food was presented in an artistic way.
6. place/countryside/view
▷ beautiful /ˈbjuːtɪf ə l, ˈbjuːtəf ə l/ [adjective]
use this about a place that everyone admires and likes to visit :
▪ Florence is such a beautiful city.
▪ Cornwall has some of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in Britain.
▪ a restaurant with beautiful views over Sorrento and the Gulf of Naples
▷ lovely /ˈlʌvli/ [adjective] especially British
use this about a place that is beautiful in a way that makes you feel relaxed and gives you a lot of pleasure :
▪ The hills will be lovely at this time of year.
▪ You are so lucky to live here with all this lovely countryside around you.
▪ The garden was looking lovely.
▷ stunning/breathtaking /ˈstʌnɪŋ, ˈbreθˌteɪkɪŋ/ [adjective]
use this about a view that is extremely beautiful and extremely impressive :
▪ The view from the top of the mountain was stunning.
▪ We got a breathtaking view of the Golden Gate Bridge.
▪ The ruins of Angkor Wat are truly breathtaking.
▷ magnificent /mægˈnɪfɪs ə nt, mægˈnɪfəs ə nt/ [adjective]
use this about an area where there are beautiful, large, and impressive mountains, valleys, rivers etc :
▪ The location of the town along the river is magnificent.
▪ the magnificent mountains around Lake Titicaca
▷ picturesque /ˌpɪktʃəˈresk◂/ [adjective]
use this about a village or town that is pretty in an old-fashioned way :
▪ We visited the picturesque fishing village of Lochinver.
▪ He rents a small house in the picturesque old quarter of town.
▷ scenic /ˈsiːnɪk/ [adjective]
use this about a road that goes through beautiful countryside :
▪ We travelled to the coast by a very scenic route.
▪ a scenic road through the Welsh mountains
▷ pretty /ˈprɪti/ [adjective]
pleasant to look at but not really impressive :
▪ We walked down the pretty, tree-lined avenue.
▪ a pretty village on the Suffolk border
▷ beauty spot /ˈbjuːti spɒtǁ-spɑːt/ [countable noun] British
an area or place that people visit because it is especially beautiful :
▪ There are several beauty spots to visit in Crete.
▪ People were protesting because the council planned to build a new road through Burleigh Wood, a local beauty spot.
7. a beautiful appearance
▷ beauty /ˈbjuːti/ [uncountable noun]
the beautiful appearance of a place or person :
▪ the beauty of the countryside in spring
▪ He had written a poem about Sylvia, praising her charm and beauty.
of great beauty
very beautiful formal
▪ I found the temple a place of great beauty.
▷ good looks /gʊd ˈlʊks/ [plural noun]
someone’s attractive appearance :
▪ With his dark good looks, Jason could have been a TV star.
8. dressed, arranged, decorated etc in a beautiful way
▷ beautifully /ˈbjuːtɪf ə li, ˈbjuːtəf ə li/ [adverb]
▪ This is a beautifully illustrated book.
▪ The flowers were placed in a beautifully decorated vase.
▪ ‘What do you think about the garden?’ ‘You’ve done it beautifully!’
▷ prettily /ˈprɪtɪli/ [adverb]
in a way that is pleasant to look at :
▪ Helen is always prettily dressed.
▪ Marie arranged the radishes prettily on a plate.
▷ attractively /əˈtræktɪvli/ [adverb]
in a way that makes something very pleasant to look at, especially in order to make people want it :
▪ We hope to sell goods by packaging them attractively.
▪ All her friends were younger, prettier and more attractively dressed.
▷ elegantly /ˈelɪgəntli, ˈeləgəntli/ [adverb]
in a beautiful way that is simple, but usually expensive :
▪ Tom’s mother was an elegantly dressed gray-haired woman.
▪ The bedroom was elegantly decorated with deep-blue and gold wallpaper.
▷ exquisitely /ɪkˈskwɪzɪtli, ɪkˈskwɪzətli/ [adverb]
in a very delicate, careful, and beautiful way :
▪ In the box was a pair of exquisitely shaped old earrings.
▪ The tiny china doll was exquisitely ornate.
▷ artistically /ɑːʳˈtɪstɪkli/ [adverb]
in a way that looks attractive and has been done with a lot of skill and imagination :
▪ Red and blue flowers were artistically arranged to form a pattern.