Word a Day
handsome
What does handsome mean?
handsome (adjective): of a man or boy: attractively manly, having a pleasing face and overall effect.
Definition: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
How do you pronounce handsome?
/ˈhænsəm/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does handsome come from?
From Middle English handsum, hondsom, from Old English *handsum, from Proto-West Germanic *handusam (“handy”), equivalent to hand + -some.
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Test yourself: do you know “handsome”?
Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.
What does “handsome” mean?
irritatingly pleased with oneself; offensively self-complacent, self-satisfied
Not quite: that's what smug means.
without notice to prepare the mind for the event; sudden; hasty; unceremonious
Not quite: that's what abrupt means.
of or pertaining to a mother; having the characteristics of a mother; motherly
Not quite: that's what maternal means.
of a man or boy: attractively manly, having a pleasing face and overall effect
Right! That's what “handsome” means.
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