2
general::
adj. VERBS be, feel, look, seem | become, grow | make sb/sth We did all we could to make the room beautiful. | find sb/sth He found her exquisitely beautiful. ADV. exceptionally, extraordinarily, extremely, outstandingly, really, remarkably, supremely, truly, very | absolutely, perfectly, quite, utterly | just, simply (informal) ‘They're just beautiful,’ breathed Jo, when she saw the earrings. | almost I remember her as pretty, almost beautiful. | rather | astonishingly, breathtakingly, dazzlingly, incredibly, staggeringly, startlingly, strikingly, stunningly, unbelievably, wonderfully | uniquely | exquisitely | serenely | classically Her features were classically beautiful, with perfectly structured high cheekbones. | coldly The designs were pure, austere and coldly beautiful. | achingly, eerily, hauntingly, painfully a hauntingly beautiful melody
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
3
general::
person
beautiful
a beautiful woman or child has perfect good looks:
• Grace Kelly was a very beautiful woman. • a beautiful baby
good-looking
a good-looking person looks nice. Good-looking is very common in spoken English:
• He’s a good-looking guy, but he’s a bit boring. • Do you think she’s good-looking?
attractive
an attractive person looks nice, especially in a way that makes you feel sexually interested in them:
• She’s a very attractive woman. • A lot of women find him attractive.
pretty
a pretty girl or woman looks nice – used especially about a woman who has a nice face:
• You look pretty with your hair down. • She has a very pretty face.
handsome
a handsome man or boy looks nice – used especially about a man who has a nice face. Handsome is also sometimes used, especially in literature, to describe a woman who is good-looking and has a strong face:
• He was tall, dark, and handsome. • She was a big, handsome woman.
gorgeous/stunning
spoken extremely attractive. Gorgeous is used especially by women:
• She thinks Brad Pitt is gorgeous. • You look absolutely stunning in that dress!
cute
spoken nice to look at – used about animals, babies, children, and young adults:
• a cute little puppy • She thinks you’re cute!
lovely
especially British English spoken used when saying that someone looks very nice:
• You look lovely tonight.
place/thing etc
beautiful
used to describe something that looks, feels, sounds etc so good that it gives you a lot of pleasure:
• a beautiful tropical beach • a beautiful song • The weather was beautiful.
lovely
especially British English spoken used when saying that something looks, feels, or sounds very nice:
• What a lovely day! • a lovely voice • a lovely perfume
pretty
pleasant to look at – often used about things that are not big or impressive:
• a pretty little pink dress • a pretty village
attractive
pleasant to look at. Attractive sounds more formal than pretty:
• an attractive white-painted cottage with green shutters • an attractive city
magnificent
very big, beautiful, and impressive – used about buildings, objects, and views:
• The Taj Mahal always looks magnificent. • a magnificent Persian carpet • There were magnificent views over the old city.
picturesque
written pleasant to look at – used in written descriptions of towns, buildings, and places:
• the picturesque harbour town of Castleton • Regensburg Cathedral occupies a picturesque position on the River Danube in Bavaria.
stunning/breathtaking
extremely beautiful and impressive – used especially about views:
• All around is a stunning view of Cape Town. • The landscape is breathtaking.
exquisite
used to describe things that have very beautiful small details, especially things that have been made with a lot of skill:
• an exquisite piece of jewellery • an exquisite flower • an exquisite picture of a bird of paradise
elegant
designed in a way that looks very attractive and has a lot of style:
• an elegant Neo-Classical building • a long and elegant staircase
Longman-Thesaurus