Handsome Definition & Meaning

American

British

Usage

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms handsome American [han-suhm] / ˈhæn səm /

adjective

handsomer, handsomest

1. having an attractive, well-proportioned, and imposing appearance suggestive of health and strength; good-looking.

   a handsome man;

   a handsome woman.

   Antonyms: ugly

2. having pleasing proportions, relationships, or arrangements, as of shapes, forms, or colors; attractive.

   a handsome house;

   a handsome interior.

3. considerable, ample, or liberal in amount.

   a handsome fortune.

   Synonyms: munificent, generous, large Antonyms: scanty, scant, skimpy, meager

4. gracious; generous; flattering.

   a handsome compliment;

   a handsome recommendation.

   Antonyms: miserly, stingy, ungenerous

5. adroit and appealing; graceful.

   a handsome speech.

handsome British / ˈhændsəm /

adjective

1. (of a man) good-looking, esp in having regular, pleasing, and well-defined features

2. (of a woman) fine-looking in a dignified way

3. well-proportioned, stately, or comely

   a handsome room

4. liberal or ample

   a handsome allowance

5. gracious or generous

   a handsome action

6. pleasant

   handsome weather

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

1. a term of endearment for a beloved person, esp in my handsome

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What are other ways to say handsome?

Someone who is handsome is attractive with a well-proportioned appearance that is suggestive of health and strength. How does handsome compare with lovely, beautiful, and pretty? Learn more on Thesaurus.com.

Other Word Forms

• handsomeish adjective
• handsomely adverb
• handsomeness noun
• superhandsome adjective

Etymology

Origin of handsome

First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English hondsom, handsum “easy to control, handy”; cognate with West Frisian hānsum “easy to control, convenient,” Dutch handzaam “easy to manage”; hand, -some 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Alex greets us when we reach the training room, and he’s tall and handsome and friendly.

From Literature

"He looked handsome, he always did, but I thought I was dreaming", she laughs.

From BBC

Hugo is the kind of boy you would probably not like me to spend my time with, but – oh, Mama – he’s so handsome!

From Literature

Regardless, Willis is likely to land a handsome payday, due to the scarcity of desirable passers and the number of teams that badly need one.

From The Wall Street Journal

It took a second or two of fumbling, but I got them on her wrists just as the handsome face of John Wilkes Booth made it up the stairs.

From Literature

Related Words

• attractive
• beautiful
• clean-cut
• dapper
• elegant
• good-looking
• graceful
• lovely
• personable
• smart
• smooth
• stately
• stylish
• suave

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.