handsome
adjective
hand·some
ˈhan(t)-səm 
handsomer; handsomest
1
: having a pleasing and usually impressive or dignified appearance
2
: moderately large : sizable
a painting that commanded a handsome price
3
: marked by skill or cleverness : adroit
4
: marked by graciousness or generosity : liberal
handsome contributions to charity
5
chiefly dialectal
: appropriate, suitable
handsomely
adverb
handsomeness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of handsome in a Sentence
He was a handsome man, in a big-screen way, with the deep-set eyes and boyish smile and even the lumpy, interesting complexion of a Harrison Ford or a Robert Redford.
—
Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 10 May 2004
An Alexandrian statue of a ruggedly handsome man with gaunt features like Caesar's exploits the translucent glow of large-grained marble from the distant Greek island of Thasos, combining Roman attention to the texture of aging skin with the abstract elegance of Egyptian-style almond eyes and chiseled cheekbones.
—Ingrid D. Rowland, New Republic, 1 & 8 Apr. 2002
The Galaxy's first stop, St. Lucia's capital city of Castries, has been destroyed by so many fires that travel writers dismiss it as holding little interest. There I came upon a handsome three-story brick building that had clearly withstood the city's century of conflagrations. It was, of all things, a Carnegie Library, built by that American millionaire's beneficence in 1916.
—Carla Davidson, American Heritage, November 1999
With bonds and utility stocks under seige, many people who depend on these traditional income investments are taking a new look at real estate investment trusts. What they're finding is that "REITs" generate handsome dividend yields of 6% or more while offering the possibility of capital gains. That's not bad at a time when 10-year Treasury notes, which currently yield about 7%, come with the worry that rising interest rates will cause their value to plummet.
—Lynn Asinof, Wall Street Journal, 3 June 1994
It was a handsome house situated on a large lot.
The book includes many handsome illustrations.
I predict that someone tall, dark, and handsome is going to come into your life.
He inherited a handsome fortune.
He made a handsome profit on the sale of the house.
The book is a handsome tribute to a great poet.
Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 10 May 2004
An Alexandrian statue of a ruggedly handsome man with gaunt features like Caesar's exploits the translucent glow of large-grained marble from the distant Greek island of Thasos, combining Roman attention to the texture of aging skin with the abstract elegance of Egyptian-style almond eyes and chiseled cheekbones.
—Ingrid D. Rowland, New Republic, 1 & 8 Apr. 2002
The Galaxy's first stop, St. Lucia's capital city of Castries, has been destroyed by so many fires that travel writers dismiss it as holding little interest. There I came upon a handsome three-story brick building that had clearly withstood the city's century of conflagrations. It was, of all things, a Carnegie Library, built by that American millionaire's beneficence in 1916.
—Carla Davidson, American Heritage, November 1999
With bonds and utility stocks under seige, many people who depend on these traditional income investments are taking a new look at real estate investment trusts. What they're finding is that "REITs" generate handsome dividend yields of 6% or more while offering the possibility of capital gains. That's not bad at a time when 10-year Treasury notes, which currently yield about 7%, come with the worry that rising interest rates will cause their value to plummet.
—Lynn Asinof, Wall Street Journal, 3 June 1994
It was a handsome house situated on a large lot.
The book includes many handsome illustrations.
I predict that someone tall, dark, and handsome is going to come into your life.
He inherited a handsome fortune.
He made a handsome profit on the sale of the house.
The book is a handsome tribute to a great poet.
Recent Examples on the Web
Walk to the waterfront where the Rhone River flows flat and fast and cross the handsome pedestrian/bicycle only Passerelle Marc-Seguin wooden suspension bridge.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024
In this film, her character falls for a handsome knight who magically gets transported to the present day.
—Kelsie Gibson, People.com, 7 Dec. 2024
Bodum Melior Cold Brew and Ice Tea Maker ($20): This pitcher-style cold brew maker from Bodum’s Melior line is a handsome enough pitcher with decent proportions and a 1-liter capacity.
—Matthew Korfhage, WIRED, 6 Dec. 2024
There Gala gets involved in the struggling local wine business and with handsome Amat (Santiago Cabrera).
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for handsome 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Tom Mullen, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024
In this film, her character falls for a handsome knight who magically gets transported to the present day.
—Kelsie Gibson, People.com, 7 Dec. 2024
Bodum Melior Cold Brew and Ice Tea Maker ($20): This pitcher-style cold brew maker from Bodum’s Melior line is a handsome enough pitcher with decent proportions and a 1-liter capacity.
—Matthew Korfhage, WIRED, 6 Dec. 2024
There Gala gets involved in the struggling local wine business and with handsome Amat (Santiago Cabrera).
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for handsome
Dictionary Entries Near handsome
Cite this Entry
“Handsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/handsome. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
handsome
adjective
hand·some
ˈhan(t)-səm
1
: fairly large : sizable
a handsome fortune
2
: marked by generosity or graciousness
a handsome contribution
3
: having a pleasing and usually impressive or dignified appearance
a handsome man
handsome old buildings
handsomely
adverb
handsomeness
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share