Beauty vs. Grace — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on October 12, 2023
"Beauty" refers to a pleasing aesthetic or qualities, often external, while "Grace" implies elegance, kindness, or a divine favor.
Difference Between Beauty and Grace
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Both Beauty and Grace capture elements of admiration and appeal in the English language. Beauty is typically associated with physical attractiveness or qualities that please the senses. It can be found in nature, art, or even a particular trait of an individual. Conversely, Grace speaks more to the elegance or fluidity of movement, but also refers to kindness, compassion, and a state of being favored, especially in religious contexts.
Beauty, in many cultures, is a standard that varies yet is often tied to visual elements. For instance, a sunset, a symphony, or even a person's face can be described as beautiful. It is an appreciation of what is externally pleasing or harmonious. Grace, on the other hand, delves deeper. It can describe the gentle way someone moves or acts, but also signifies a state of mercy or pardon, particularly from a divine entity.
The perception of Beauty is often subjective, influenced by cultural, personal, or societal standards. For example, what is deemed beautiful in one culture might differ in another. However, Grace often transcends these boundaries. It has a universal undertone of benevolence, whether you're referring to a dancer's poise or an act of kindness from one person to another.
To encapsulate, while Beauty predominantly refers to aesthetics and pleasing qualities, Grace embodies elegance in movement and demeanor, as well as mercy and favor. Both terms enrich the language, offering nuances that make expressions more vivid and emotions more palpable.
Comparison Chart
Efinition
A combination of qualities that pleases the senses.
Elegance in movement or behavior; divine favor.
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Application
Often used for external appearances or nature.
Describes both physical elegance and moral kindness.
Nature
Subjective and can vary across cultures.
Universal undertones of benevolence or elegance.
Example
"She has a beauty that radiates outward."
"She moved with a grace found in professional dancers."
Origin
Derived from the word "beaute" in Old French.
Derived from the Latin word "gratia," meaning favor.
Compare with Definitions
Beauty
The quality that gives pleasure to the senses.
The beauty of the mountains is breathtaking.
Grace
Simple elegance or refinement in movement.
Her dance was full of grace.
Beauty
A combination of qualities that pleases the intellect.
There's a beauty in her poetry that's hard to define.
Grace
An attractive quality or manner.
She handled the situation with grace.
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.
Grace
A short prayer before or after a meal.
Let's say grace before dinner.
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
Grace
A period officially granted as a delay in fulfilling an obligation.
You have a grace period of 10 days to make the payment.
Beauty
A beautiful woman
He arrived with a blonde beauty on his arm
She was considered a great beauty in her youth
Grace
Seemingly effortless beauty or charm of movement, form, or proportion.
Beauty
Good; excellent (used as a general term of approval).
Grace
A characteristic or quality pleasing for its charm or refinement.
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.
Grace
A sense of fitness or propriety.
Beauty
One that is beautiful, especially a beautiful woman.
Grace
A disposition to be generous or helpful; goodwill.
Beauty
A quality or feature that is most effective, gratifying, or telling
The beauty of the venture is that we stand to lose nothing.
Grace
Mercy; clemency.
Beauty
An outstanding or conspicuous example
The golf shot was a beauty, stopping a foot from the hole.
Grace
A favor rendered by one who need not do so; indulgence.
Beauty
The quality of being (especially visually) attractive, pleasing, fine or good-looking; comeliness.
Grace
A temporary immunity or exemption; a reprieve.
Beauty
Someone who is beautiful.
Brigitte Bardot was a renowned beauty.
Grace
Graces Greek & Roman Mythology Three sister goddesses, known in Greek mythology as Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia, who dispense charm and beauty.
Beauty
Something that is particularly good or pleasing.
What a goal! That was a real beauty!
Grace
Divine favor bestowed freely on people, as in granting redemption from sin.
Beauty
An excellent or egregious example of something.
He got into a fight and ended up with two black eyes – two real beauties!
Grace
The state of having received such favor.
Beauty
The excellence or genius of a scheme or decision.
The beauty of the deal is it costs nothing!
Grace
An excellence or power granted by God.
Beauty
A beauty quark (now called bottom quark).
Grace
A short prayer of blessing or thanksgiving said before or after a meal.
Beauty
Beauty treatment; cosmetology.
Grace
Grace Used with His, Her, or Your as a title and form of address for a duke, duchess, or archbishop.
Beauty
(obsolete) Prevailing style or taste; rage; fashion.
Grace
(Music) An appoggiatura, trill, or other musical ornament in the music of 16th and 17th century England.
Beauty
Beautiful passages or extracts of poetry.
Grace
To honor or favor
You grace our table with your presence.
Beauty
(Canada) Thanks!
Grace
To give beauty, elegance, or charm to.
Beauty
(Canada) Cool!
It's the long weekend. Beauty!
Grace
(Music) To embellish with grace notes.
Beauty
(Canada) Of high quality, well done.
He made a beauty pass through the neutral zone.
Grace
Charming, pleasing qualities.
The Princess brought grace to an otherwise dull and boring party.
Beauty
To make beautiful.
Grace
(countable) A short prayer of thanks before or after a meal.
It has become less common to say grace before having dinner.
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.
Grace
In the games of patience or solitaire: a special move that is normally against the rules.
Beauty
A particular grace, feature, ornament, or excellence; anything beautiful; as, the beauties of nature.
Grace
A grace note.
Beauty
A beautiful person, esp. a beautiful woman.
All the admired beauties of Verona.
Grace
(uncountable) Elegant movement; balance or poise.
The dancer moved with grace and strength.
Beauty
Prevailing style or taste; rage; fashion.
She stained her hair yellow, which was then the beauty.
Grace
An allowance of time granted to a debtor during which he or she is free of at least part of his normal obligations towards the creditor.
The repayment of the loan starts after a three-year grace.
Beauty
The qualities that give pleasure to the senses
Grace
Free and undeserved favour, especially of God; unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration or sanctification, or for resisting sin.
Beauty
A very attractive or seductive looking woman
Grace
An act or decree of the governing body of an English university.
Beauty
An outstanding example of its kind;
His roses were beauties
When I make a mistake it's a beaut
Grace
(transitive) To adorn; to decorate; to embellish and dignify.
He graced the room with his presence.
He graced the room by simply being there.
His portrait graced a landing on the stairway.
Beauty
An especially graceful, ornamental, or excellent quality.
The beauty of this plan is its simplicity.
Grace
(transitive) To dignify or raise by an act of favour; to honour.
Beauty
A beautiful person or thinag.
The rose is a classic beauty among flowers.
Grace
(transitive) To supply with heavenly grace.
Beauty
A particular advantage or beneficial aspect.
The beauty of this deal is the mutual benefit.
Grace
To add grace notes, cadenzas, etc., to.
Grace
The exercise of love, kindness, mercy, favor; disposition to benefit or serve another; favor bestowed or privilege conferred.
To bow and sue for graceWith suppliant knee.
Grace
The divine favor toward man; the mercy of God, as distinguished from His justice; also, any benefits His mercy imparts; divine love or pardon; a state of acceptance with God; enjoyment of the divine favor.
And if by grace, then is it no more of works.
My grace is sufficicnt for thee.
Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand.
Grace
The prerogative of mercy execised by the executive, as pardon.
Grace
Fortune; luck; - used commonly with hard or sorry when it means misfortune.
Grace
Inherent excellence; any endowment or characteristic fitted to win favor or confer pleasure or benefit.
He is complete in feature and in mind.With all good grace to grace a gentleman.
I have formerly given the general character of Mr. Addison's style and manner as natural and unaffected, easy and polite, and full of those graces which a flowery imagination diffuses over writing.
Grace
Beauty, physical, intellectual, or moral; loveliness; commonly, easy elegance of manners; perfection of form.
Grace in women gains the affections sooner, and secures them longer, than any thing else.
I shall answer and thank you again For the gift and the grace of the gift.
Grace
Graceful and beautiful females, sister goddesses, represented by ancient writers as the attendants sometimes of Apollo but oftener of Venus. They were commonly mentioned as three in number; namely, Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia, and were regarded as the inspirers of the qualities which give attractiveness to wisdom, love, and social intercourse.
The Graces love to weave the rose.
The Loves delighted, and the Graces played.
Grace
The title of a duke, a duchess, or an archbishop, and formerly of the king of England.
How fares your Grace !
Grace
Thanks.
Yielding graces and thankings to their lord Melibeus.
Grace
A petition for grace; a blessing asked, or thanks rendered, before or after a meal.
Grace
Ornamental notes or short passages, either introduced by the performer, or indicated by the composer, in which case the notation signs are called grace notes, appeggiaturas, turns, etc.
Grace
An act, vote, or decree of the government of the institution; a degree or privilege conferred by such vote or decree.
Grace
A play designed to promote or display grace of motion. It consists in throwing a small hoop from one player to another, by means of two sticks in the hands of each. Called also grace hoop or hoops.
That day of grace fleets fast away.
The grace cup follows to his sovereign's health.
To [Queen Margaret, of Scotland] . . . we owe the custom of the grace drink, she having established it as a rule at her table, that whosoever staid till grace was said was rewarded with a bumper.
Content to do the profession some grace.
What might have been done with a good grace would at leastbe done with a bad grace.
Grace
To adorn; to decorate; to embellish and dignify.
Great Jove and Phoebus graced his noble line.
We are graced with wreaths of victory.
Grace
To dignify or raise by an act of favor; to honor.
He might, at his pleasure, grace or disgrace whom he wouldin court.
Grace
To supply with heavenly grace.
Grace
To add grace notes, cadenzas, etc., to.
Grace
(Bhristian theology) a state of sanctification by God; the state of one who under such divine influence;
The conception of grace developed alongside the conception of sin
It was debated whether saving grace could be obtained outside the membership of the church
The Virgin lived in a state of grace
Grace
Elegance and beauty of movement or expression
Grace
A sense of propriety and consideration for others
Grace
A disposition to kindness and compassion; benign good will;
The victor's grace in treating the vanquished
Grace
(Greek mythology) one of three sisters who were the givers of beauty and charm; a favorite subject for sculptors
Grace
A short prayer of thanks before a meal
Grace
(Christian theology) the free and unmerited favor or beneficence of God;
God's grace is manifested in the salvation of sinners
There but for the grace of God go I
Grace
Make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.;
Decorate the room for the party
Beautify yourself for the special day
Grace
Be beautiful to look at;
Flowers adorned the tables everywhere
Grace
Free and unmerited favor, especially of God.
By the grace of God, he survived the ordeal.
Common Curiosities
Can someone possess both Beauty and Grace?
Yes, someone can be both physically attractive and move or behave elegantly.
Is Beauty always external?
While often used for external traits, beauty can also describe inner qualities or intellectual pleasures.
Does Grace always have religious connotations?
No, while grace can mean divine favor, it can also mean elegance or kindness.
Can nature possess Beauty?
Yes, nature is often described as beautiful due to its aesthetic appeal.
Can art encapsulate Beauty?
Absolutely. Many people find beauty in various forms of art.
Are Beauty and Grace the same?
No, beauty focuses on aesthetic qualities, while grace can be about movement, behavior, or divine favor.
Can an action be described as having Grace?
Absolutely. Actions, especially those of kindness or benevolence, can be graceful.
Is Beauty subjective or objective?
Beauty is largely subjective, influenced by individual or cultural preferences.
Can Grace be learned or taught?
Yes, people can learn to move with grace, and also to act with grace and kindness.
Can an inanimate object possess Grace?
Yes, objects, especially those designed with care, can exhibit graceful characteristics.
Do standards of Beauty change over time?
Yes, societal and cultural standards of beauty can evolve.
Can Beauty be found in imperfections?
Yes, many cultures and individuals find beauty in what's considered imperfect or unique.
Is Grace always about physical movement?
No, it can also describe behavior or a state of favor.
Can Grace be a quality of speech?
Yes, someone can speak with grace, meaning with elegance or kindness.
Are there universal standards of Beauty?
While certain traits are broadly admired, beauty standards vary across cultures and individuals.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
