Beauty vs. Beautiful — What's the Difference?
By Maham Liaqat & Urooj Arif — Updated on March 9, 2024
Beauty encapsulates the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that provides pleasure to the senses or exalts the mind or spirit, while Beautiful is an adjective describing someone or something that possesses beauty.
Difference Between Beauty and Beautiful
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Beauty is a noun that refers to a characteristic of a person, place, thing, or idea that offers a perceptual experience of pleasure, meaning, or satisfaction. This concept is often considered to be an innate property that makes something pleasing to observe. Beautiful, on the other hand, is an adjective used to describe entities that embody the quality of beauty. It is subjective and can vary greatly depending on individual preferences and cultural standards.
Beauty can be found in various forms, including natural landscapes, artwork, and human beings, and it transcends mere appearance to include aspects such as harmony, balance, and proportion. Beautiful, however, directly attributes the quality of beauty to its subject, suggesting an immediate, often visual, appeal. While beauty is a broader concept, calling something beautiful is a direct acknowledgment of its beauty.
Beauty encompasses more than just visual attractiveness; it also includes deeper qualities that evoke admiration or awe due to their artistry, elegance, or moral depth. Beautiful is typically applied to superficial qualities that catch the eye or ear, but it can also be used to acknowledge the deeper beauty in actions, thoughts, and expressions.
The appreciation of beauty often involves a sense of balance and harmony with nature, along with a recognition of excellence or perfection in art, music, and literature. In contrast, describing something as beautiful implies an aesthetic response based on individual or cultural ideals of beauty.
Beauty has a timeless quality, often associated with classic forms, enduring works of art, or natural wonders that have been admired across different epochs. Beautiful, while timeless in its own right, is more often applied to contemporary subjects, reflecting current aesthetic standards and trends.
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Comparison Chart
Part of Speech
Noun
Adjective
Definition
The quality that gives pleasure to the senses or spirit.
Possessing qualities that give pleasure to the senses or spirit.
Scope
Broad, abstract concept.
Specific, direct attribution.
Subjectivity
Universal and subjective appreciation.
Subjective judgment of specific subjects.
Application
Can be applied to a wide range of entities, including ideas, actions, or physical objects.
Used to describe physical appearance or characteristics.
Compare with Definitions
Beauty
The characteristic that provides a perceptual experience of pleasure or satisfaction.
The beauty of the sunset left them in awe.
Beautiful
Pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically.
The beautiful painting captivated everyone in the room.
Beauty
A combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses.
The beauty of the landscape was breathtaking.
Beautiful
Of a very high standard; excellent.
She gave a beautiful performance.
Beauty
An attractive feature or advantage.
One of the beauties of this fabric is its durability.
Beautiful
Having beauty; possessing qualities that give great pleasure or satisfaction to see, hear, think about, etc.
The beautiful melody lingered in their minds long after the music had stopped.
Beauty
A particularly graceful, ornamental, or excellent quality.
Her dance was noted for its fluid beauty.
Beautiful
Appearing attractive in the eyes of the observer.
The garden looks beautiful in the spring.
Beauty
The best or most advantageous part.
The beauty of the plan is its simplicity.
Beautiful
Having qualities that delight or appeal to the senses and often the mind.
Beauty
Beauty is commonly described as a feature of objects that makes these objects pleasurable to perceive. Such objects include landscapes, sunsets, humans and works of art.
Beautiful
Excellent; wonderful
Hit a beautiful shot from the tee.
Beauty
A combination of qualities, such as shape, colour, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight
An area of outstanding natural beauty
I was struck by her beauty
Beautiful
Used to express approval or delight.
Beauty
A beautiful woman
He arrived with a blonde beauty on his arm
She was considered a great beauty in her youth
Beautiful
Attractive and possessing beauty.
Anyone who has ever met her thought she was absolutely beautiful.
There's a beautiful lake by the town.
Beauty
Good; excellent (used as a general term of approval).
Beautiful
Good, admirable.
He was a beautiful person; he would drop everything to help you.
You've done a beautiful thing today.
Beauty
A quality or combination of qualities that gives pleasure to the mind or senses and is often associated with properties such as harmony of form or color, proportion, authenticity, and originality.
Beautiful
(of the weather) Pleasant; clear.
It's beautiful outside, let's go for a walk.
Beauty
One that is beautiful, especially a beautiful woman.
Beautiful
Well executed.
The skater performed a beautiful axel.
Beauty
A quality or feature that is most effective, gratifying, or telling
The beauty of the venture is that we stand to lose nothing.
Beautiful
Someone who is beautiful. Can be used as a term of address.
The man was faithful to his wife, ignoring the many blonde beautifuls who surrounded him wherever he went.
Hey, beautiful!
Beauty
An outstanding or conspicuous example
The golf shot was a beauty, stopping a foot from the hole.
Beautiful
Having the qualities which constitute beauty; pleasing to the sight or the mind.
A circle is more beautiful than a square; a square is more beautiful than a parallelogram.
Beauty
The quality of being (especially visually) attractive, pleasing, fine or good-looking; comeliness.
Beautiful
Delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration;
A beautiful child
Beautiful country
A beautiful painting
A beautiful theory
A beautiful party
Beauty
Someone who is beautiful.
Brigitte Bardot was a renowned beauty.
Beautiful
Aesthetically pleasing
Beauty
Something that is particularly good or pleasing.
What a goal! That was a real beauty!
Beautiful
(of weather) highly enjoyable;
What a beautiful day
Beauty
An excellent or egregious example of something.
He got into a fight and ended up with two black eyes – two real beauties!
Beauty
The excellence or genius of a scheme or decision.
The beauty of the deal is it costs nothing!
Beauty
A beauty quark (now called bottom quark).
Beauty
Beauty treatment; cosmetology.
Beauty
(obsolete) Prevailing style or taste; rage; fashion.
Beauty
Beautiful passages or extracts of poetry.
Beauty
(Canada) Thanks!
Beauty
(Canada) Cool!
It's the long weekend. Beauty!
Beauty
(Canada) Of high quality, well done.
He made a beauty pass through the neutral zone.
Beauty
To make beautiful.
Beauty
An assemblage of graces or properties pleasing to the eye, the ear, the intellect, the æsthetic faculty, or the moral sense.
Beauty consists of a certain composition of color and figure, causing delight in the beholder.
The production of beauty by a multiplicity of symmetrical parts uniting in a consistent whole.
The old definition of beauty, in the Roman school, was, "multitude in unity;" and there is no doubt that such is the principle of beauty.
Beauty
A particular grace, feature, ornament, or excellence; anything beautiful; as, the beauties of nature.
Beauty
A beautiful person, esp. a beautiful woman.
All the admired beauties of Verona.
Beauty
Prevailing style or taste; rage; fashion.
She stained her hair yellow, which was then the beauty.
Beauty
The qualities that give pleasure to the senses
Beauty
A very attractive or seductive looking woman
Beauty
An outstanding example of its kind;
His roses were beauties
When I make a mistake it's a beaut
Common Curiosities
What is beauty?
Beauty is the aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that provides pleasure to the senses or exalts the mind or spirit.
How do you describe something as beautiful?
Something is described as beautiful when it possesses qualities that are pleasing to the senses or mind aesthetically.
Can landscapes be described as beautiful?
Yes, landscapes can be described as beautiful when they offer a pleasing aesthetic experience to the observer.
Are beauty standards changing?
Yes, beauty standards evolve over time and can change with societal values and cultural influences.
How is beauty perceived in different cultures?
Perceptions of beauty vary widely across cultures, influenced by historical, social, and cultural factors.
Can something be beautiful but not perfect?
Yes, something can be considered beautiful despite imperfections, as beauty often resides in uniqueness or emotional impact.
Can beauty be subjective?
Yes, beauty is highly subjective and varies greatly among different people and cultures.
Is beauty only related to appearance?
No, beauty can also refer to qualities that evoke admiration or awe, including moral, intellectual, or artistic aspects.
Is beauty important in art?
Beauty is often a central concept in art, though its importance and interpretation can vary widely among different artistic movements.
Can beauty be found in everyday life?
Yes, beauty can be found in everyday life, from simple moments to the complex interplay of life's patterns.
What is the difference between beauty and attractiveness?
Beauty is a broader concept that can refer to physical, moral, or intellectual qualities, whereas attractiveness often refers specifically to physical appeal.
How do you recognize beauty?
Beauty is recognized through personal and cultural lenses, often involving an emotional or intellectual response.
Can actions be described as beautiful?
Yes, actions can be described as beautiful if they are admirable or pleasing in their moral or aesthetic quality.
What makes a person beautiful?
A person can be considered beautiful based on a combination of physical appearance, personality traits, and inner qualities.
Does everyone agree on what is beautiful?
No, perceptions of beauty are highly subjective and can differ vastly among individuals and cultures.
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Written by
Maham Liaqat
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
