Added 8 October 2026
handsome
/ˈhæn.səm/ adjective
In Latin: pulcher, formōsus, scitulus Wiktionary
adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about handsome at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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Pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion.
a fine-looking woman
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Given or giving freely.
was a big tipper
Origin
From Middle English handsum, hondsom, equivalent to hand + -some. Compare Dutch handzaam, German Low German handsaam. The original sense was “easy to handle or use”, hence “suitable” and “apt, clever” (mid-16th century), giving rise to the current appreciatory senses (late 16th century).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)