What does "handsome" mean?
To render handsome.
Handsome
/ˈhæn.səm/ adj, verb
adj, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To render handsome.
- Grammar: handsome is listed as adj, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: good-looking, liberal, abundant, adonic.
- Useful contrasts: ugly, dumpy, homeliest.
- Usage evidence: He is not handsome, to be sure, but he is good-natured.
How to use "handsome"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "handsome" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "handsome" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "handsome" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "handsome" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "handsome" is acting as adj, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "good-looking" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "handsome", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To render handsome. obsolete, transitive
Adjective
- 1 Having a pleasing appearance, good-looking, attractive, particularly
"That is one handsome tree you've got there."
- 2 Having a pleasing appearance, good-looking, attractive; Of a man or boy: attractively manly, having a pleasing face and overall effect.
"I was struck dumb. Here was the most handsome man I’d ever seen in my life coming out of the surf."
- 3 Having a pleasing appearance, good-looking, attractive; Of a woman: statuesque, beautiful in a masculine or otherwise imposing way.
"She was either handsome or her uniform created a flattering effect but—being very nearsighted—he couldn't tell from this distance."
- 4 Good, appealing, appropriate.
"City have lapped up the plaudits this season for a series of handsome wins but manager Roberto Mancini has demanded that his side also learn to grind out results when they do not play well. He now has an example to point to."
- 5 Good, appealing, appropriate.; Fine, clear and bright.
"Sunday, the sixth, we heaved up our sheet-anchor again, the day beginning with little wind, and continued handsome weather till eight at night, when the wind came to S. S. W. and it fell a snowing."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 Good, appealing, appropriate.; Suitable or fit in action; marked with propriety and ease; appropriate.
"a handsome style"
- 7 Generous or noble in character.
"I'm a plain man, Mr. Feverel. Above board with me, and you'll find me handsome."
- 8 Ample; moderately large.
"a handsome salary"
- 9 Of people and things: dexterous; skillful. obsolete
"That they [engines of war] be both easy to be carried and handsome to be moved and turned about."
Adjective
- 1 pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion wordnet
- 2 given or giving freely wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"He is not handsome, to be sure, but he is good-natured."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "handsome"?
Common synonyms include: good-looking, liberal, abundant, adonic, aesthetic, aesthetically appealing.
How do you use "handsome" in a sentence?
He is not handsome, to be sure, but he is good-natured.
How do you pronounce "handsome"?
Pronounced /ˈhæn.səm/.
Etymology
From Middle English handsum, hondsom, equivalent to hand + -some. Compare Dutch handzaam, German Low German handsaam. The original sense was ‘easy to handle or use’, hence ‘suitable’ and ‘apt, clever’ (mid 16th century), giving rise to the current appreciatory senses (late 16th century).