65 Beautiful Words | Meanings, Uses & Examples

What do you cherish? Have you ever experienced the hard-to-describe feeling of vellichor? Looking in awe at an opalescent seashell? Or just said the word rendezvous because it sounds nice?

This article contains a list of beautiful English words, their meanings, and how to use them.

What makes beautiful words beautiful?

Beauty is subjective, so words that are beautiful to one may not be beautiful to another. That said, beautiful words in English are usually deemed so for one or a combination of the following:

• They sound pretty, with graceful vowels and soft consonants. Factors like rhythm and cadence can also make certain words sound beautiful. For example, effervescent seems to roll off the tongue.
• Their meanings are profound, poetic, or evocative of beautiful imagery. Some beautiful words, like moonbow, refer to beautiful things.
• Rich histories or unique etymologies may lend words additional emotional weight or cultural resonance, adding to their beauty. Irenic, for example, may not sound very beautiful but its origin makes up for it.

65 beautiful words

Below are 65 beautiful words in the English language. For each word, you can find its pronunciation, part of speech, definition, and an example sentence.

1. Aesthetic

Pronunciation: ehs-theh-tihk

Part of speech: adjective and noun

Meaning: concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty (adjective); a style (noun)

Example: The artist’s work had a unique aesthetic that captivated viewers.

2. Antithesis

Pronunciation: an-tih-thuh-sihs

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a person or thing that is the direct opposite of someone or something else; in rhetoric, placing two opposites in the same structure

Example: Love is the antithesis of hate.

3. Assonance

Pronunciation: a-suh-nense

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: the repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words

Example: “The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain” is an example of assonance.

4. Bioluminescence

Pronunciation: bye-oh-loo-muh-neh-sense

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: the emission of light by living organisms

Example: Fireflies are one animal capable of bioluminescence.

5. Capybara

Pronunciation: kap-ee-bah-rah

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a large, semi-aquatic rodent native to South America

Example: The capybara lounged lazily by the riverbank.

6. Celestial

Pronunciation: suh-lehs-chul

Part of speech: adjective

Meaning: related to the sky or heavens

Example: The celestial bodies moved steadily in their orbits, with the sun sitting regally in the center.

7. Cherish

Pronunciation: cheh-rish

Part of speech: verb

Meaning: to hold something dear or treasure it deeply

Example: She would always cherish her memories of Christmases spent in her grandfather’s cozy mountain cabin.

8. Clairvoyant

Pronunciation: klehr-voy-uhnt

Part of speech: adjective and noun

Meaning: having or claiming to have the ability to perceive beyond the normal five senses (adjective); a person who is or claims to be clairvoyant (noun)

Example: My great-aunt used to claim to be clairvoyant, but I was always skeptical.

9. Crystalline

Pronunciation: krih-stuh-lihn

Part of speech: adjective

Meaning: clear and transparent like crystal

Example: The pink light of sunrise was reflected perfectly in the lake’s crystalline water.

10. Diaphanous

Pronunciation: dai-a-fuh-nihs

Part of speech: adjective

Meaning: light, delicate, and translucent

Example: The star’s gown was made from a diaphanous silver fabric.

11. Diffuse

Pronunciation: dih-fyus (adjective); dih-fyuz (verb)

Part of speech: adjective and verb

Meaning: not concentrated (adjective); to spread over a wide area (verb)

Example: After placing the lilies in the vase, it only took a few minutes for their smell to diffuse throughout the house.

12. Dulcet

Pronunciation: duhl-siht

Part of speech: adjective

Meaning: sweet and soothing (especially when used to describe a sound)

Example: The dulcet tones of the violin filled the theater.

13. Effervescent

Pronunciation: eh-fehr-veh-sihnt

Part of speech: adjective

Meaning: bubbly, lively, or enthusiastic

Example: Chloe’s effervescent personality made her the life of the party.

14. Ephemeral

Pronunciation: uh-feh-mehr-uhl

Part of speech: adjective

Meaning: lasting for a short time

Example: The beauty of the sunset was ephemeral but unforgettable.

15. Eponymous

Pronunciation: uh-pah-nuh-mihs

Part of speech: adjective

Meaning: giving one’s name to something

Example: Harry Potter is the eponymous hero of the book series about magic.

16. Ethereal

Pronunciation: uh-thee-ree-uhl

Part of speech: adjective

Meaning: light, delicate, heavenly, or otherworldly

Example: The mist gave the forest an ethereal glow.

17. Gossamer

Pronunciation: gah-suh-muhr

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a thin, light, and delicate material or substance

Example: The spider’s gossamer web shimmered in the morning light.

18. Idyllic

Pronunciation: ai-dih-lihk

Part of speech: adjective

Meaning: very happy, peaceful, or beautiful

Example: We just returned from a weeklong vacation in the idyllic Scottish countryside.

19. Illicit

Pronunciation: ih-lih-suht

Part of speech: adjective

Meaning: forbidden

Example: The council is meeting to discuss how to combat the use of illicit drugs in the city.

20. Incandescent

Pronunciation: in-kan-deh-sent

Part of speech: adjective

Meaning: glowing as a result of being heated; passionate

Example: The vase was incandescent as the glassblower heated it to form its shape.

21. Laconically

Pronunciation: luh-kah-nih-klee

Part of speech: adverb

Meaning: using very few words

Example: When asked about his plans, he replied laconically, “We’ll see.”

22. Lagoon

Pronunciation: luh-goon

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a small lake near but separated from a larger body of water

Example: This tropical lagoon is home to many marine species.

23. Luminous

Pronunciation: loo-muh-nihs

Part of speech: adjective

Meaning: bright or shining

Example: The diamond on her wedding ring is only half a carat, but it’s so luminous that it looks bigger.

24. Opalescent

Pronunciation: oh-puhl-eh-sent

Part of speech: adjective

Meaning: having shifting colors against a pale background or dark background; iridescent

Example: I just got my nails painted an opalescent pink.

25. Palindrome

Pronunciation: pa-luhn-drohm

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: something that’s read the same way forwards and backwards

Example: The word “level” is a palindrome.

26. Periphrasis

Pronunciation: peh-ruh-frah-sihs

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: the use of more words than necessary

Example: Periphrasis is sometimes employed in euphemisms to soften the blow of an unpleasant message.

27. Petrichor

Pronunciation: peh-truh-kohr

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: the pleasant, earthy scent that comes after a fresh rainfall

Example: The petrichor filled the air as the storm clouds cleared.

28. Rendezvous

Pronunciation: rahn-day-voo

Part of speech: noun or verb

Meaning: a planned meeting (noun); to meet at a planned time and place (verb)

Example: The spies arranged a secret rendezvous at the café.

29. Sassafras

Pronunciation: sa-suh-fras

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: an aromatic tree used in medicine and perfumes

Example: Sassafras is dried and ground to make filé powder, which is used to thicken and flavor Louisiana gumbo.

30. Sibilance

Pronunciation: sih-buh-luhnts

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: the repetition of “s” sounds in nearby words

Example: The cartoon snake spoke with a hissing sibilance.

31. Silhouette

Pronunciation: sih-luh-weht

Part of speech: noun; verb

Meaning: a dark shape or outline of someone or something against a lighter background (noun); to cast such a dark shape or outline (verb)

Example: The silhouette of the mountain was visible against the twilight sky.

32. Solitude

Pronunciation: sah-lih-tood

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: the state of being alone, often in a peaceful or introspective way

Example: The young mother cherished her moments of solitude.

33. Supine

Pronunciation: soo-pine

Part of speech: adjective

Meaning: lying face up; failing to act due to passivity or laziness

Example: Scott lay supine on the grass, staring up at the clouds.

34. Vellichor

Pronunciation: vehl-ih-kohr

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: the nostalgic, wistful feeling evoked by old bookstores

Example: As Lucy browsed through the dusty shelves, she was overwhelmed by vellichor.

35. Verisimilitude

Pronunciation: veh-ruh-sih-mi-lih-tood

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: the appearance of being real or true

Example: The film’s attention to historical detail added to its verisimilitude.

Unusual words with beautiful meanings

Below are some words that have beautiful meanings but aren’t very common in contemporary English.

36. Acatalepsy

Pronunciation: ey-kat-ehl-ehp-see

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: the idea that absolute knowledge is impossible, particularly in philosophical Skepticism

Example: The philosopher argued that acatalepsy prevents humans from ever attaining complete certainty.

37. Aquarelle

Pronunciation: ah-kwuh-rehl

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a painting done with transparent watercolors; the technique of painting this way

Example: The artist is known for her colorful aquarelles of gardens.

38. Ataraxia

Pronunciation: a-tuh-rak-see-uh

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a state of serene calm free of worry

Example: Through meditation, he’s able to achieve ataraxia despite the chaos around him.

39. Brontide

Pronunciation: brahn-tide

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a rumbling sound like thunder that’s sometimes caused by seismic activity

Example: The eerie brontide made the villagers uneasy, fearing an approaching storm.

40. Chatoyant

Pronunciation: shah-toy-ehnt

Part of speech: adjective

Meaning: having a changeable, shimmering, or cat’s-eye effect, especially in gemstones

Example: The chatoyant surface of the tourmaline gleamed under the light.

41. Clinquant

Pronunciation: klin-kehnt

Part of speech: adjective and noun

Meaning: glittering, gleaming, or decorated with tinsel (adjective); tinsel (noun)

Example: The Christmas tree was all decked out with clinquant decorations.

42. Clowder

Pronunciation: klau-duhr

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a group of cats

Example: Masha visits the park each evening to feed the clowder of cats that lives there.

43. Copacetic

Pronunciation: koh-pah-seh-tihk

Part of speech: adjective

Meaning: good or fine

Example: After their review, the auditors told us everything was copacetic.

44. Empyrean

Pronunciation: ehm-pee-ree-uhn

Part of speech: adjective and noun

Meaning: celestial and divine (adjective); the highest part of heaven (noun)

Example: The cathedral’s stained glass windows depicted an empyrean paradise

45. Eudaemonia

Pronunciation: yu-dih-moh-nee-uh

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a state of well-being or happiness

Example: Aristotle believed eudaemonia was achieved through virtue and wisdom.

46. Eunoia

Pronunciation: yu-noi-uh

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a state of goodwill, kindness, and friendliness towards others

Example: The therapist’s eunoia made her patients feel instantly at ease.

47. Exculpate

Pronunciation: ehk-skuhl-payt

Part of speech: verb

Meaning: to clear someone from guilt

Example: The new evidence helped exculpate the wrongly accused man.

48. Gorgonize

Pronunciation: gohr-gah-nize

Part of speech: verb

Meaning: to paralyze or mesmerize someone

Example: Her piercing stare seemed to gorgonize everyone in the room.

49. Halcyon

Pronunciation: hal-see-ihn

Part of speech: adjective and noun

Meaning: relating to a past time that was happy or peaceful (adjective); a type of bird (noun)

Example: He reminisced about the halcyon days of his childhood.

50. Hiemal

Pronunciation: hi-muhl

Part of speech: adjective

Meaning: of or relating to winter

Example: The hiemal winds howled through the barren trees.

51. Irenic

Pronunciation: ai-reh-nihk

Part of speech: adjective

Meaning: promoting peace and agreement

Example: The leader’s irenic speech helped ease tensions between the two nations.

52. Lambent

Pronunciation: lam-behnt

Part of speech: adjective

Meaning: softly glowing or flickering

Example: The lambent glow of the dying campfire relaxed us as we drifted off to sleep.

53. Moonbow

Pronunciation: moon-boh

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a rainbow formed by moonlight

Example: The moonbow over the waterfall was an amazing sight.

54. Munificence

Pronunciation: myoo-nih-fuh-sihns

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: the state of being very generous

Example: Santa Claus could be said to be a paragon of munificence.

55. Neologize

Pronunciation: nee-ah-luh-jize

Part of speech: verb

Meaning: to create new words or phrases

Example: The tech industry often neologizes terms to describe innovations.

56. Nyctophilia

Pronunciation: nihk-tah-fih-lee-uh

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a love of the night or darkness

Example: Her nyctophilia made her prefer late-night strolls to daytime ones.

57. Orphic

Pronunciation: or-fihk

Part of speech: adjective

Meaning: mysterious, entrancing, or relating to Orpheus

Example: The orphic melody seemed to enchant everyone in the audience.

58. Pluviophile

Pronunciation: ploo-vee-uh-file

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: someone who loves rain

Example: My sister is a total pluviophile, so it’s perfect that she lives in Seattle.

59. Psithurism

Pronunciation: sith-yuh-rihz-uhm

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: the sound of rustling leaves in the wind

Example: The psithurism of the autumn forest was soothing to the hikers.

60. Redamancy

Pronunciation: rehd-uh-man-see

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: the act of loving someone who loves you in return

Example: Their redamancy was evident in every affectionate glance they exchanged.

61. Sidereal

Pronunciation: sai-dee-ree-uhl

Part of speech: adjective

Meaning: related to the stars or constellations

Example: Astronomers use sidereal time to track celestial movements.

62. Skosh

Pronunciation: skohsh

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a small amount, a bit

Example: Adding a skosh of salt to the caramel will help balance the flavors.

63. Sonder

Pronunciation: sahn-der

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: the realization that everyone has a life as complex and vivid as your own

Example: I tend to experience sonder when I sit and people watch in a busy city.

64. Thalassophile

Pronunciation: thuh-lass-oh-file

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: someone who loves the sea

Example: A true thalassophile, Leida spent every weekend by the shore.

65. Zephyr

Pronunciation: zeh-fir

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a gentle breeze

Example: The warm zephyr carried the scent of jasmine through the garden.

Frequently asked questions about beautiful words

What are some words that rhyme with beautiful?

Some words that rhyme with beautiful are:

• Dutiful
• Suitable
• Cuticle
• Mutable
• Refutable
• Disputable
• Usual
• Bountiful
• Wonderful

If you’re adding rhyme to creative writing, why not use QuillBot’s free Paraphraser to find beautiful words to add to your prose.

What are some beautiful words that start with k?

Some beautiful words that start with “k” are:

• Kismet (noun) – destiny
• Kindle (verb) – to ignite, often used metaphorically
• Kindred (adjective) – related or similar, used to describe a close connection
• Kinetically (adverb) – involving or producing movement
• Kaleidoscope (noun) – a changing pattern of beautiful colors or shapes
• Karma (noun) – the idea that one’s actions affect future outcomes

If you want to use any of these beautiful words in your writing, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can make sure you do so correctly.

What are some beautiful words that start with e?

Some beautiful words that start with “e” are:

• Euphoria (noun) – intense happiness or bliss
• Enchant (verb) – to captivate or charm
• Elysian (adjective) – related to paradise or the afterlife
• Exquisitely (adverb) – in a beautiful manner
• Effervescent (adjective)  – sparkling or bubbly
• Eloquence (noun)  – fluent or persuasive speech
• Ethereal (adjective)  – delicate or otherworldly

Try QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker to make sure you use these beautiful words that start with “e” correctly in your writing.

What are some beautiful words that start with l?

Some beautiful words that start with “l” are:

• Luminous (adjective) – Radiating light
• Lavender (noun) – a relaxing color and plant
• Linger (verb) – to stay longer than necessary
• Laconically (adverb) – using few words
• Lyrical (adjective) – expressing emotion in a beautiful way
• Lagoon (noun) – a small lake
• Lucid (adjective) – clear and easy to understand

When including these beautiful words in your writing, check that you use them correctly with QuillBot’s Grammar Checker.

What are some beautiful words to describe someone?

Some beautiful words you can use to describe someone are:

• Beautiful – physically attractive
• Magnanimous – generous and forgiving
• Eloquent – able to speak persuasively and fluently
• Serene – very calm
• Ethereal – delicate; otherworldly
• Radiant – shining with joy or beauty
• Effervescent – vivacious and enthusiastic

When incorporating these beautiful words into your writing, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can make sure you use them correctly.