Handsome Synonyms | Uses & Examples
Handsome is an adjective that means “attractive” when describing a person or thing and “substantial” when describing a quantity.
Some synonyms for handsome are:
- Attractive
- Beautiful
- Gorgeous
- Good-looking
- Stunning
- Lovely
- Substantial
- Sizable
- Considerable
- Significant
- Generous
- Ample
QuillBot’s Paraphraser can help you find even more synonyms for handsome.
Synonyms for handsome
When handsome means “attractive,” it is most often used to describe a man to mean “good-looking.” When used to describe a woman, it means “striking and imposing.” When describing an object, it means “well-made and graceful.”
| Match | Synonym | Handsome example | Synonym example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strongest | Attractive | I’m tired of the heroes in movies always being handsome. | I’m tired of the heroes in movies always being attractive. |
| Beautiful | What a handsome antique! | What a beautiful antique! | |
| Gorgeous | My new neighbor is handsome. | My new neighbor is gorgeous. | |
| Good-looking | Helena is quite handsome, isn’t she? | Helena is quite good-looking, isn’t she? | |
| Stunning | Lara has a handsome ring with a three-carat diamond. | Lara has a stunning ring with a three-carat diamond. | |
| Lovely | Jared’s fiancé is so nice, and they make a handsome couple. | Jared’s fiancé is so nice, and they make a lovely couple. | |
| Strong | Elegant | That blonde woman is so handsome; do you know who she is? | That blonde woman is so elegant; do you know who she is? |
| Sexy | Peter is so handsome, and have you seen his calves? | Peter is so sexy, and have you seen his calves? | |
| Cute | Kia said she thinks Marcus is handsome! | Kia said she thinks Marcus is cute! | |
| Hot | Maria’s eldest son is handsome; do you think I could get his number? | Maria’s eldest son is hot; do you think I could get his number? | |
| Weak | Glamorous | Eleanor is a very handsome woman, but it’s true she has no sense of rhythm. | Eleanor is a very glamorous woman, but it’s true she has no sense of rhythm. |
| Charming | We saw the most handsome cottage in the Black Forest. | We saw the most charming cottage in the Black Forest. | |
| Statuesque | Cara isn’t conventionally pretty, but she is definitely stylish and handsome. | Cara isn’t conventionally pretty, but she is definitely stylish and statuesque. |
When handsome means “substantial,” it describes a number, sum, or margin and is most often used to refer to quantities of money. Some synonyms for handsome with this meaning are stronger than others. For example, “considerable” has a closer meaning to handsome than “gigantic,” which implies something being “enormous.”
| Match | Synonym | Handsome example | Synonym example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strongest | Substantial | There is a handsome reward for anyone who offers information leading to a conviction. | There is a substantial reward for anyone who offers information leading to a conviction. |
| Sizable | Paul has a handsome amount of money saved for college already. | Paul has a sizable amount of money saved for college already. | |
| Considerable | The whiskey company made handsome profits last quarter. | The whiskey company made considerable profits last quarter. | |
| Significant | Investors received handsome returns on their early contributions. | Investors received significant returns on their early contributions. | |
| Generous | The city council is offering a handsome prize to the contest winner. | The city council is offering a generous prize to the contest winner. | |
| Ample | The publisher gave the author a handsome advance for her new book. | The publisher gave the author an ample advance for her new book. | |
| Strong | Great | Lucy inherited a handsome fortune from her grandfather. | Lucy inherited a great fortune from her grandfather. |
| Big | The new policy brought in handsome savings for the company. | The new policy brought in big savings for the company. | |
| Good | Eddie earns a handsome salary as a tomato farmer, despite what people assume. | Eddie earns a good salary as a tomato farmer, despite what people assume. | |
| Abundant | The project received handsome funding from multiple donors. | The project received abundant funding from multiple donors. | |
| Weak | Liberal | The volunteers were given handsome portions of food for their work. | The volunteers were given liberal portions of food for their work. |
| Bountiful | The garden produced a handsome harvest this year. | The garden produced a bountiful harvest this year. | |
| Gigantic | The company offered a handsome payout to early investors. | The company offered a gigantic payout to early investors. |
Frequently asked questions about handsome synonyms
- How do you spell handsome?
-
You spell “handsome” as h-a-n-d-s-o-m-e.
People may misspell this adjective because it is often pronounced with a silent “d” (in both British and American English).
To avoid spelling mistakes, use a synonym for handsome that’s easier to spell, or use QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker.
- What is a handsome woman?
-
A “handsome woman” is a woman who isn’t conventionally beautiful but who is striking and imposing. A “handsome woman” would be strong and poised, but not necessarily delicate and cute.
For a woman, “handsome” carries this connotation, although the word is mostly used nowadays to describe a good-looking man.
Some synonyms for handsome to describe a woman are “attractive” and “elegant.” If you have more questions about using “handsome” to describe a woman, ask QuillBot’s AI Chat.
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Santoro, K. (2025, October 08). Handsome Synonyms | Uses & Examples. Quillbot. Retrieved October 23, 2025, from https://quillbot.com/blog/synonyms/handsome-synonym/
