ENGLISH
REFERENCE

bonnie

adj.
C2 Proficiency US //ˈbɑni// UK //bˈɒni// bon·nie Informal

adj. describing someone or something that is very pretty, attractive, or healthy-looking. It is a friendly word often used in Scotland to talk about people or the countryside.

adj. attractive, beautiful, or physically appealing. Primarily used in Scottish English and Northern English dialects; often carries a connotation of health and vitality.


SIMPLE

She has a bonnie face and a kind smile.

CONTEXTUAL

The hikers stopped to admire the bonnie banks of the loch as the sun began to set.

COMPLEX

The poet wrote extensively about the bonnie lasses and the rugged, mist-covered hills of his childhood home in the Highlands.

Synonyms
Origin

Originally an American nickname from Scottish bonnie (“fine, beautiful”).

Usage

Typically used as an attributive adjective before a noun; informal and dialectal in register.

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