Words / B1

BYOOT-ee/ˈbjuːti/

Beauty is the quality of being attractive to look at: natural beauty; the beauty of the coastline; a beauty contest. Attractiveness is close but can include personality; prettiness is milder and often for faces. Beautiful is the adjective. Beauty spot in UK English can mean a pretty place in the countryside. Do not write “a beauty” for every pretty thing — a beauty is sometimes a person or an outstanding example.

Meaning

The quality of being attractive to look at.

Examples

• “Everyone talked about the beauty of the lake.”
• “Walkers come for the natural beauty of the hills.”
• “The beauty of the plan is that it costs almost nothing.”

Good to know

natural beauty. the beauty of + place. Adjective: beautiful. Milder: prettiness. UK: beauty spot (pretty place).

Near in meaning

attractiveness

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