beautiful
- 01 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.
Simple“The view from the top of the mountain was absolutely beautiful.”
In context“The sunlight filtered through the stained glass, casting beautiful patterns of crimson and gold across the cathedral floor.”
PitfallHe 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.
- 02 A2 Elementary
very pleasant to hear, feel, or experience.
affording great sensory pleasure, particularly through sound or emotional experience.
Simple“The singer has a beautiful voice that makes everyone stop and listen.”
In context“The orchestra delivered a beautiful performance of the symphony, capturing the delicate nuances of the composer's final work.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
done very well or having a very high quality.
characterised by intellectual or moral excellence, or by perfect suitability and elegance.
Simple“That was a beautiful goal in the final minute of the game.”
In context“The mathematician provided a beautiful solution to the problem, using a logic that was both simple and undeniably elegant.”
Usage beautiful thing · beautiful woman
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).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.