What does "beautiful" mean?

1. (attractive to look at) very attractive to look at; having a high level of beauty. 2. (pleasing to other senses) very pleasant to hear, feel, or experience. 3. (excellent or elegant) done very well or having a very high quality.

Is it correct to say "He is a beautiful man."?

No — say "He is a handsome man.". While 'beautiful' can describe men, 'handsome' is the more common and traditional choice for adult males in English.

beautiful

US //ˈbjutəfəɫ// UK //bjˈuːtɪfəl// beau·ti·ful

1 attractive to look at (adj.)
A1 Beginner

very attractive to look at; having a high level of beauty.

possessing qualities that give great aesthetic pleasure to the eye; physically attractive.

Example

The view from the top of the mountain was absolutely beautiful.

Example

The sunlight filtered through the stained glass, casting beautiful patterns of crimson and gold across the cathedral floor.
- ugly
- plain
Pitfall

He is a beautiful man.

He is a handsome man.

While 'beautiful' can describe men, 'handsome' is the more common and traditional choice for adult males in English.
2 pleasing to other senses (adj.)
A2 Elementary

very pleasant to hear, feel, or experience.

affording great sensory pleasure, particularly through sound or emotional experience.

Example

The singer has a beautiful voice that makes everyone stop and listen.

Example

The orchestra delivered a beautiful performance of the symphony, capturing the delicate nuances of the composer's final work.
- unpleasant
- harsh

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3 excellent or elegant (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

done very well or having a very high quality.

characterised by intellectual or moral excellence, or by perfect suitability and elegance.

Example

That was a beautiful goal in the final minute of the game.

Example

The mathematician provided a beautiful solution to the problem, using a logic that was both simple and undeniably elegant.
- poor
- clumsy

Origin

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 Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₁nós Proto-Germanic *fullaz Proto-Germanic *-fullaz Old English -ful Middle English -ful Middle English bewteful English beautiful From Middle English bewteful, beautefull (“attractive to the eye, beautiful”), equivalent to beauty + -ful. In this sense, largely displaced Old English fæġer (whence fair).

Idioms2 entries