English Reference

Word

beauty

Phoneticsbeau·ty, stress on the first syllable

US/ˈbjuti/

UK/bjˈuːti/

Definitions

01attractive quality

B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun

n. the quality of being very pleasing to look at or listen to.

n. the quality of being aesthetically pleasing to the senses or the mind. Uncountable in this general sense.

“The natural beauty of the mountains took our breath away.”

“Critics often debate whether the beauty of a landscape is inherent in the terrain or merely a projection of the observer's cultural expectations.”

Synonyms

Antonyms

02an attractive person

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

n. a person, usually a woman, who is very beautiful.

n. a person who is exceptionally attractive. Countable; often used in literary or slightly dated contexts.

“She was considered a great beauty in her youth.”

“The portrait captured the famous beauty at the height of her social influence, before she retired from public life.”

Synonyms

03a clever advantage

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

n. the best or most useful part of something.

n. the particular advantage, excellence, or cleverness of a specific feature or plan.

“The beauty of this plan is that it costs almost nothing.”

“The beauty of the new software architecture lies in its modularity, which allows developers to update individual components without risking a total system failure.”

Antonyms

04an excellent example

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Informal

n. something that is a very good or impressive example of its kind.

n. an outstanding or remarkable specimen of something. Often used for physical objects or even mistakes.

“That old car is a real beauty; it looks brand new.”

“He showed me his collection of antique watches, pointing out one gold beauty that had been manufactured in the late nineteenth century.”

Collocations

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “beauty” in context.

Adjective

01. natural beauty

“The national park is famous for its stunning natural beauty and diverse wildlife.”

adj + noun

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dewh₂-der.? Proto-Italic *dwenos Old Latin duenos Old Latin duonusder. Old Latin *duenelos Vulgar Latin bellus Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-ts Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂ts Proto-Italic *-tāts Vulgar Latin -tās Vulgar Latin *bellitātem Anglo-Norman biautébor. Middle English beaute English beauty From Middle English bewty, bewte, beaute, bealte, from Anglo-Norman and Old French beauté (early Old French spelling biauté), from Vulgar Latin *bellitātem (“beauty”), from Latin bellus (“beautiful, fair”); see beau. In this sense, mostly displaced native Old English fæġernes, whence Modern English fairness.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

NOUN

beauty(B1)

ADJECTIVE

Related words

Idioms

This entry

Exam level
CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
Frequency
Common
Level
B1 · IntermediateOxford
Updated

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