beauty
17 synonyms and 3 antonyms for beauty, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The quality of being pleasing to look at or otherwise highly attractive.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Antonyms
How to use beauty
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Etymology
From Old French beauté, going back to a Latin form built on bellus ("beautiful, fine"). It came into English through Anglo-Norman French after the Norman Conquest and gradually replaced the native Old English word for the same idea.
Full origin of beauty →Frequently asked questions
What does “beauty” mean?
The word “beauty” means the quality of being pleasing to look at or otherwise highly attractive. In plain terms, the quality of being lovely to look at, or a person/thing that has that quality.
How do you pronounce “beauty”?
“Beauty” is pronounced BYOO-tee (/ˈbjuti/ in IPA).
How do you use “beauty” in a sentence?
Here is “beauty” used in a sentence: “Tourists come from all over to see the beauty of the coastline.”
What is another word for “beauty”?
Words with a similar meaning to “beauty” include gorgeousness, inspiration, loveliness, looker, good looker and beautiful person.
What is the opposite of “beauty”?
The opposite of “beauty” — its antonyms — are repulsiveness, homeliness and ugliness.
What part of speech is “beauty”?
“Beauty” is a noun.
Where does the word “beauty” come from?
The word “beauty” comes from Latin.
Is “beauty” a common word?
“Beauty” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
What is the difference between beauty and beautiful?
Beauty is the noun — the quality itself, as in 'the beauty of the coast.' Beautiful is the adjective that describes something possessing that quality, as in 'a beautiful coast.' You admire beauty (the thing) and call an object beautiful (its description). Same idea, different grammatical roles.
Is beauty subjective or objective?
Beauty is largely considered subjective — 'in the eye of the beholder' — since tastes vary by person, culture, and era. That said, some features such as symmetry and harmony are found attractive across many societies, so there is a shared element beneath much personal preference.
Can beauty be measured?
Not precisely. Because beauty depends heavily on personal and cultural judgment, there is no reliable unit for it. Researchers sometimes study proxies like facial symmetry or proportion, and ratings can be averaged, but these capture only part of what people actually find beautiful. Much of it stays subjective.
What is the opposite of beauty?
The direct opposite of beauty is ugliness — the quality of being unpleasant or unattractive to look at. Softer contrasts include plainness or ordinariness, which suggest a simple lack of striking attractiveness rather than something actively displeasing, while ugliness implies a genuinely off-putting appearance.