English

beauty

gb/bjˈuti/ us/bjˈuti/
A2 English
~ 2100
Senses
0 senses
Noun A2 property
1

Attractive appearance

When someone or something looks very nice or pretty.

Usage pattern: the beauty of [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'beauty' (noun) with 'beautiful' (adjective), e.g., saying 'She is a beauty girl' instead of 'She is a beautiful girl.'
Synonyms
attractiveness (More general term for being appealing, not limited to visual appearance.) | prettiness (Suggests a delicate or dainty kind of beauty.)
Antonyms
ugliness (The opposite quality of being visually unattractive.)
Collocations
natural beauty |inner beauty |beauty queen |beauty standard |beauty industry
Themes
appearance |art |emotions |core_vocabulary |daily_life
Examples
  • The beauty of the sunset took my breath away.
  • She is known for her natural beauty.
  • The city is famous for its architectural beauty.
  • He appreciated the beauty of the painting.
  • They were amazed by the beauty of the mountain landscape.
Learner examples
  • The flower has great beauty.
  • I see beauty in her smile.
  • The park is full of beauty.
  • That dress shows her beauty.
  • We enjoy the beauty of nature.
Noun B1 entity
2

A very attractive person or thing

A person or thing that looks very nice or pretty.

Usage pattern: [someone/something] is a beauty
Synonyms
stunner (Informal term for an extremely attractive person.)
Collocations
real beauty |classic beauty
Themes
appearance |daily life |core_vocabulary |daily_life
Examples
  • Her daughter is a real beauty.
  • That car is a classic beauty.
  • He married a local beauty from the village.
  • This painting is a true beauty.
  • Your dog is a beauty!
Learner examples
  • She is a beauty.
  • That car is a beauty.
  • This picture is a beauty.
  • He has a beauty in his garden.
  • The house is a beauty.
Noun B2 entity
3

Excellent feature or advantage

A very good part of something.

Usage pattern: the beauty of [something] is that [clause]
Synonyms
advantage (Focuses on the benefit rather than attractiveness.)
Collocations
the beauty of it is
Themes
communication |daily life |core_vocabulary |business
Examples
  • The beauty of this plan is its simplicity.
  • The beauty of working from home is flexibility.
  • The beauty of this recipe is that anyone can make it.
  • The beauty of traveling alone is freedom.
  • The beauty of the internet is instant access to information.
Learner examples
  • The beauty of this idea is its low cost.
  • The beauty of my job is that I work from home.
  • The beauty of this phone is its camera.
  • The beauty of this game is that it’s easy to play.
  • The beauty of living here is the view.
Grammar
Dictionary form
beauty
IPA
GB/bjˈuti/
US/bjˈuti/
Syllables & stress
beauty (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (beauty)
Word forms
Noun
  • Base: beauty
  • Plural: beauties, beauty
Word family
Forms
beauties noun
Core family
beautiful adjective A1 beautifully adverb B1
Related words
beautify verb B2 beautician noun
Negative and opposite forms
ugly adjective A2
Advanced or less common
beautification noun
Expressions

a thing of beauty is a joy forever

1
/ə θˈɪŋ əv bjˈuti ˈɪz ə d͡ʒˈɔɪ fɚˈɛvɚ/
idiom literary

Beautiful things give lasting joy

Something beautiful will always make you happy when you think about it or see it again.

Examples
  • Her wedding dress was carefully preserved—a thing of beauty is a joy forever.
  • This garden will bloom for years; a thing of beauty is a joy forever.

beauty is in the eye of the beholder

1
/bjˈuti ˈɪz ˈɪn ðə ˈaɪ əv ðə bihˈoʊldɚ/
idiom

Attractiveness depends on personal opinion

Different people think different things are beautiful.

Examples
  • He thinks that painting is amazing, but I don’t—beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
  • She may not be a model, but to him, she’s perfect. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

beauty sleep

1
/bjˈuti slˈip/
fixed phrase informal

Sleep for looking good and healthy

Sleep that helps you look and feel better, especially your skin and face.

Examples
  • I need to get my beauty sleep before the big day tomorrow.
  • She went to bed early to get her beauty sleep.

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