well-favoured
/'wel'feiv d/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Pleasing in appearance; attractive; good-looking: Describes a person whose physical appearance is considered aesthetically pleasing, often implying a pleasant and agreeable look that conforms to conventional standards of beauty or handsomeness.
Examples of Usage
- Adjective:
- She was a well-favoured woman, with kind eyes and a gentle smile.
- The portrait showed a well-favoured gentleman from a bygone era.
- Our southern women are well-favored. (As noted by Lillian Hellman)
Advanced Usage
- The term is often used in a formal or literary context to describe someone's appearance in a complimentary, somewhat traditional manner. It can imply a wholesome or agreeable attractiveness rather than a striking or extraordinary beauty.
- The prince was seeking a well-favoured and virtuous bride.
Variants and Related Words
- Well-favored (adj): The standard American English spelling of the word.
- He was a well-favored young man with a bright future.
- Good-looking (adj): A more common synonym.
- Fine-looking (adj): Similar in meaning, often used for a dignified or impressive appearance.
- Pretty (adj): Generally used for women or girls, suggesting delicacy and charm.
- Handsome (adj): Often used for men, suggesting a dignified and pleasing appearance; can also be used for women to suggest stately beauty.
Synonyms
- Attractive
- Comely (archaic/literary)
- Fair (archaic/literary)
- Personable
Antonyms
- Plain
- Unattractive
- Homely
Notes on Usage
- "Well-favoured" (with a 'u') is the preferred spelling in British English, while "well-favored" is used in American English.
- The term is somewhat dated and is more commonly found in classic literature or formal descriptions than in everyday modern conversation. In contemporary usage, words like "attractive," "good-looking," or "pretty" are more frequent.
- It is typically used as an attributive adjective (placed before the noun) but can also be used predicatively.
- Attributive: a well-favoured face
- Predicative: She was well-favoured.
Adjective
- pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion
- a fine-looking woman
- a good-looking man
- better-looking than her sister
- very pretty but not so extraordinarily handsome- Thackeray
- our southern women are well-favored- Lillian Hellman