- pronunciation:
- haen
s
m
- features:
- Word History, Word Explorer, Word Parts
| part of speech: |
adjective |
| inflections: |
handsomer, handsomest |
| definition 1: |
When someone is handsome, they are nice to look at.
My grandma told me my grandpa was so handsome when she first met him.- synonyms:
- good-looking
- antonyms:
- plain, ugly
- similar words:
- attractive, beautiful, fair, pretty
|
| definition 2: |
A handsome amount of something is a large amount.
Rachel was given a handsome reward for finding the family's lost dog.- synonyms:
- generous
- similar words:
- abundant, considerable, large
|
| related words: |
lovely |
| 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.