handsome
Part of speech: adj
Morphological type: derivation
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).
Base: hand
Affixes: -some
Inflected forms:
form: more handsome
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: handsomer
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: most handsome
pos: adj
tags: superlative
form: handsomest
pos: adj
tags: superlative
Senses:
gloss: Having a pleasing appearance, good-looking, attractive, particularly
pos: adj
examples: That is one handsome tree you've got there.
I saw, I confess, some good dancing and some handsome women, which was all my pleasure.
At the farther end of this great lamp-lit apartment was another doorway closed in with heavy Oriental-looking curtains, quite unlike those that hung before the doors of our own rooms, and here stood two particularly handsome girl mutes, their heads bowed upon their bosoms and their hands crossed in an attitude of humble submission.
On the opposite side of the street, on the corner, is the city hall, a very handsome building of brick and stone.
The mother, Ekaterina Pavlovna, who at one time had been handsome, but now, asthmatic, depressed, vague, and over-feeble for her years, tried to entertain me with conversation about painting. Having heard from her daughter that I might come to Shelkovka, she had hurriedly recalled two or three of my landscapes which she had seen in exhibitions in Moscow, and now asked what I meant to express by them.
In recent times the Samoyed, one of the handsomest breeds, has become popular as a show dog in England and the U.S.
Often, human mortals describe their visits to the Tuatha's [places] in similar terms: they were great bright places, occupied by exceedingly handsome men and women, that sported wonderful crystal chairs, inexhaustible supplies of mead or ale ...
gloss: Having a pleasing appearance, good-looking, attractive
pos: adj
examples: I was struck dumb. Here was the most handsome man I’d ever seen in my life coming out of the surf.
Scott was a man then who looked like a boy with a face between handsome and pretty. He had very fair wavy hair, a high forehead, excited and friendly eyes and a delicate long-lipped Irish mouth that, on a girl, would have been the mouth of a beauty. His chin was well built and he had good ears and a handsome, almost beautiful, unmarked nose.
gloss: Having a pleasing appearance, good-looking, attractive
pos: adj
examples: She was either handsome or her uniform created a flattering effect but—being very nearsighted—he couldn't tell from this distance.
gloss: Good, appealing, appropriate.
pos: adj
examples: 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.
gloss: Good, appealing, appropriate.
pos: adj
tags: figuratively
examples: 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.
The story goes that James Whitcomb Riley, the poet, on a beautiful spring day, in making his way from his home to his office, was accosted by numerous friends on the way who were exclaiming most extravagantly on the beauty of the day. It was "Good morning, Mr. Riley, a fine day;" "Good morning, Mr. Riley, […] a handsome day;" […].
gloss: Good, appealing, appropriate.
pos: adj
examples: a handsome style
Easiness and handsome address in writing.
For a few days, every morning visit in Highbury included some mention of the handsome letter Mrs. Weston had received. “I suppose you have heard of the handsome letter Mr. Frank Churchill has written to Mrs. Weston? I understand it was a very handsome letter, indeed. Mr. Woodhouse told me of it. Mr. Woodhouse saw the letter, and he says he never saw such a handsome letter in his life.”
gloss: Generous or noble in character.
pos: adj
examples: I'm a plain man, Mr. Feverel. Above board with me, and you'll find me handsome.
gloss: Ample; moderately large.
pos: adj
examples: a handsome salary
He […] accumulated a handsome sum of money.
gloss: Of people and things: dexterous; skillful.
pos: adj
tags: obsolete
examples: That they [engines of war] be both easy to be carried and handsome to be moved and turned about.
Laſtly, for a theife it is ſo handſome, as it may ſeem it was firſt invented for him
Derived words: blandsome
do the handsome thing
handsome devil
handsome is as handsome does
handsomeish
handsomely
handsomeness
mansome
superhandsome
unhandsome
Translations:
lang: Western Apache
word: ba’olníí
lang: Arabic
word: جَمِيل
roman: jamīl
lang: Arabic
word: وَسِيم
roman: wasīm
lang: Arabic
word: وسيم
roman: wasīm
lang: Arabic
word: حلو
roman: ḥilu
lang: Arabic
word: مَليح
roman: malīḥ
lang: Armenian
word: սիրուն
roman: sirun
lang: Armenian
word: գեղեցիկ
roman: geġecʻik
lang: Aromanian
word: mushat (roa-rup)
lang: Azerbaijani
word: yaraşıq
lang: Azerbaijani
word: yaraşıqlı
lang: Belarusian
word: прыго́жы
roman: pryhóžy
lang: Belarusian
word: выда́тны
roman: vydátny
lang: Belarusian
word: харо́шы
roman: xaróšy
lang: Belarusian
word: красі́вы
roman: krasívy
lang: Belarusian
word: урадлі́вы
roman: uradlívy
lang: Bengali
word: সুন্দর
roman: śundor
lang: Bengali
word: খুবসুরত
roman: khubśurot
lang: Bengali
word: হাসিন
roman: haśin
lang: Bulgarian
word: краси́в
roman: krasív
lang: Bulgarian
word: го́тин
roman: gótin
lang: Burmese
word: ချော
roman: hkyau:
lang: Catalan
word: guapo
lang: Catalan
word: maco
lang: Catalan
word: gentil
lang: Catalan
word: afavorit
lang: Catalan
word: atractiu
lang: Catalan
word: esplèndit
lang: Chinese Cantonese
word: 靚仔 /靓仔
roman: leng³ zai²
lang: Chinese
word: җүнмый
roman: žünmɨy
lang: Chinese
word: җүн
roman: žün
lang: Eastern Min Chinese
word: 俊
roman: cóng
lang: Chinese
word: 緣投 /缘投
roman: zh-min-nan
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 俊
roman: jùn
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 俊美
roman: jùnměi
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 帥 /帅
roman: shuài
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 英俊
roman: yīngjùn
lang: Czech
word: pohledný
lang: Czech
word: pěkný
lang: Czech
word: hezký
lang: Danish
word: flot
lang: Danish
word: smuk
lang: Dutch
word: knap
lang: Esperanto
word: bela
lang: Finnish
word: komea
lang: Finnish
word: kaunis
lang: French
word: beau
lang: German
word: hübsch
lang: German
word: stattlich
lang: German
word: gutaussehend
lang: Greek
word: ωραίος
roman: oraíos
lang: Haitian Creole
word: bèl
lang: Hebrew
word: טוֹב מַרְאֶה
roman: tov mar'é
lang: Hebrew
word: יפה תואר
lang: Hebrew
word: יְפֵה תֹאַר
roman: y'fe tó'ar
lang: Hindi
word: ख़ूबसूरत
roman: xūbsūrat
lang: Hungarian
word: jóképű
lang: Hungarian
word: jóvágású
lang: Indonesian
word: ganteng
lang: Indonesian
word: tampan
lang: Ingrian
word: näökäs
lang: Interlingua
word: bel
lang: Interlingua
word: belle
lang: Irish
word: dathúil
lang: Irish
word: dóighiúil
lang: Irish
word: slachtmhar
lang: Italian
word: bello
lang: Japanese
word: ハンサムな
roman: hansamu na
lang: Japanese
word: イケメンな
roman: ikemen na
lang: Jarai
word: yâo
lang: Kabuverdianu
word: bunitu
lang: Kabuverdianu
word: benite
lang: Kapampangan
word: santing
lang: Kapampangan
word: pogi
lang: Kapampangan
word: masanting
lang: Korean
word: 잘생기다
roman: jalsaenggida
lang: Korean
word: 멋있다
roman: meositda
lang: Central Kurdish
word: قۆز
roman: qoz
lang: Northern Kurdish
word: keşxe
lang: Latin
word: pulcher
lang: Latin
word: formōsus
lang: Latin
word: scitulus
lang: Louisiana Creole
word: bo
lang: Louisiana Creole
word: vayan
lang: Macedonian
word: убав
roman: ubav
lang: Macedonian
word: згоден
roman: zgoden
lang: Malay
word: kacak
lang: Malayalam
word: സുന്ദരന്
roman: sundaraṉ
lang: Māori
word: purotu
lang: Māori
word: ranginamu
lang: Navajo
word: bíiyis
lang: Navajo
word: baa dzólní
lang: Norwegian Bokmål
word: kjekk
lang: Norwegian Nynorsk
word: kjekk
lang: Persian
word: خوشتیپ
roman: xoš-tip
lang: Plautdietsch
word: schmock
lang: Polish
word: piękny
lang: Polish
word: przystojny
lang: Portuguese
word: bonito
lang: Romanian
word: frumos
lang: Romanian
word: arătos
lang: Romanian
word: chipeș
lang: Russian
word: краси́вый
roman: krasívyj
lang: Russian
word: привлека́тельный
roman: privlekátelʹnyj
lang: Saanich
word: W̱,ÍEs
lang: Scots
word: bonny
lang: Scots
word: braw
lang: Scottish Gaelic
word: eireachdail
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: zgodan
lang: Slovak
word: pekný
lang: Slovak
word: atraktívny
lang: Spanish
word: apuesto
lang: Spanish
word: guapo
lang: Spanish
word: de buen parecer
lang: Spanish
word: buenmozo
lang: Spanish
word: guaperas (despective)
lang: Sundanese
word: kasep
lang: Swedish
word: stilig
lang: Tagalog
word: guwapo
lang: Tagalog
word: makisig
lang: Thai
word: หล่อ
roman: lɔ̀ɔ
lang: Turkish
word: yakışıklı
lang: Ottoman Turkish
word: كوزل
roman: güzel, gözel
lang: Ukrainian
word: краси́вий
roman: krasývyj
lang: Ukrainian
word: вродли́вий
roman: vrodlývyj
lang: Ukrainian
word: га́рний
roman: hárnyj
lang: Ukrainian
word: хоро́ший
roman: xoróšyj
lang: Ukrainian
word: фа́йний
roman: fájnyj
lang: Urdu
word: خوبصورت
roman: xūbsūrat
lang: Vietnamese
word: đẹp trai
lang: Welsh
word: golygus