- pronunciation:
- haen
s
m
- features:
- Word Combinations (adjective), Word History, Word Explorer, Word Parts
| part of speech: |
adjective |
| inflections: |
handsomer, handsomest |
| definition 1: |
having a pleasing and healthy appearance; nice to look at.
He is a handsome man.- synonyms:
- good-looking
- antonyms:
- plain, ugly
- similar words:
- attractive, beautiful, becoming, fair, pretty
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| definition 2: |
large or generous in amount.
She was given a handsome reward.- synonyms:
- generous
- antonyms:
- meager
- similar words:
- abundant, ample, considerable, large, liberal, plentiful
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| related words: |
lovely |
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| derivations: |
handsomely (adv.), handsomeness (n.) |
The word
handsome comes from an early English word that means "easy to handle." The meaning of "handsome" changed, to "good-looking," about five hundred years ago in the 1500s.