beauty

[ byoo-tee ]
See synonyms for beauty on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural beau·ties.
  1. the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations (as shape, color, sound, etc.), a meaningful design or pattern, or something else (as a personality in which high spiritual qualities are manifest).

  2. a beautiful person, especially a woman.

  1. treatments and products that enhance a person’s physical attractiveness, or the industry associated with this: She left her career in business administration to pursue her passion in beauty and wellness.

  2. a beautiful thing, as a work of art or a building.

  3. Often beauties. a beautiful feature or trait in nature or in some natural or artificial environment: the rugged beauties of our seashore and mountains.

  4. an individually pleasing or beautiful quality; grace; charm: a vivid blue area that is the one real beauty of the painting.

  5. Informal. a particular advantage: One of the beauties of this medicine is the freedom from aftereffects.

  6. (often used ironically) someone or something that is extraordinary, remarkable, or amazing; a beaut: That sunburn is a real beauty!

  7. something excellent of its kind: My old car, now she was a beauty.

adjective
  1. relating to or being something intended to enhance a person’s physical attractiveness: They have a wonderful handcrafted line of natural beauty products, including soaps, lip balm, scented oils, and moisturizer.Make time for yourself and book a relaxing beauty treatment in our first-class spa.

Origin of beauty

1
First recorded in1225–75; Middle English be(a)ute, from Old French beaute; replacing Middle English bealte, from Old French beltet, from unattested Vulgar Latin bellitāt- (stem of unattested bellitās ), equivalent to Latin bell(us) “fine” + -itāt- noun suffix; see -ity

word story For beauty

English beauty comes from Middle English beaute, beaulte, from Anglo-French bealte, ultimately from an unrecorded Vulgar Latin noun bellitās (stem bellitāt-), a derivative of the Latin adjective bellus “pretty, handsome, charming, fine, pleasant, nice,” which is related to Latin bonus “good, virtuous.”
The progression of the various senses is: “(especially of a woman) physical attractiveness, grace, charm” (early 14th century); “(general) moral or intellectual excellence” (late 14th century); “(of a physical object) pleasing to the sight” and “a pleasing or beautiful quality” (both from the 15th century).
The colloquial, sometimes ironic sense, especially in the shortened noun beaut, “someone or something extraordinary, remarkable, or amazing,” was originally an Americanism dating to the first half of the 19th century.

Other words for beauty

Opposites for beauty

Other words from beauty

  • non·beau·ty, noun, plural non·beau·ties.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for beauty

beauty

/ (ˈbjuːtɪ) /


nounplural -ties
  1. the combination of all the qualities of a person or thing that delight the senses and please the mind

  2. a very attractive and well-formed girl or woman

  1. informal an outstanding example of its kind: the horse is a beauty

  2. informal an advantageous feature: one beauty of the job is the short hours

  3. informal, old-fashioned a light-hearted and affectionate term of address: hello, my old beauty!

interjection
  1. (NZ ˈbjuːdɪ) an expression of approval or agreement: Also (Scot, Austral, and NZ): you beauty

Origin of beauty

1
C13: from Old French biauté, from biau beautiful; see beau

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with beauty

beauty

In addition to the idiom beginning with beauty

  • beauty is only skin deep

also see:

  • that's the beauty of

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