Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective comely differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of comely are beautiful, fair, handsome, lovely, and pretty. While all these words mean "exciting sensuous or aesthetic pleasure," comely is like handsome in suggesting what is coolly approved rather than emotionally responded to.

the comely grace of a dancer

When is it sensible to use beautiful instead of comely?

The words beautiful and comely can be used in similar contexts, but beautiful applies to whatever excites the keenest of pleasure to the senses and stirs emotion through the senses.

beautiful mountain scenery

When would fair be a good substitute for comely?

Although the words fair and comely have much in common, fair suggests beauty because of purity, flawlessness, or freshness.

fair of face

When might handsome be a better fit than comely?

In some situations, the words handsome and comely are roughly equivalent. However, handsome suggests aesthetic pleasure due to proportion, symmetry, or elegance.

a handsome Georgian mansion

How do lovely and beautiful relate to one another, in the sense of comely?

Lovely is close to beautiful but applies to a narrower range of emotional excitation in suggesting the graceful, delicate, or exquisite.

a lovely melody

Where would pretty be a reasonable alternative to comely?

The meanings of pretty and comely largely overlap; however, pretty often applies to superficial or insubstantial attractiveness.

a painter of conventionally pretty scenes

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of comely Instead, his big conversion comes later, after Rafael takes a fist to the face for dancing with a local tough guy’s comely fiancée. Peter Debruge, Variety, 23 Aug. 2023 Connecticut-raised Troy’s debut novel, Floating, imagines a dinky, dusty town in Arizona where its comely protagonist, Ruby, falls in love with her husband’s estranged, cowboy brother. Hazlitt, 4 May 2022 The comely stars, who are excellent at trolling each other online, are already parents to daughters James, 4, and Inez, 2. Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2019 Furthermore, the plant is topped by comely flowers, which in time proudly adorned the button-holes of no less than Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, in their day intentionally marketing the potato to a then-skeptical proletariat. Bill St. John, The Denver Post, 9 Oct. 2019 See All Example Sentences for comely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for comely
Adjective
  • Here the handsome yellow and gray Palazzo del Capitolo building is close to Jana’s Café, where tank topped and tattooed visitors sipped rather than chugged espressos.
    Tom Mullen, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
  • These escapades are set in 1950 and have a handsome vintage color palette of white, gray, green, metal and wood.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2025
Adjective
  • People in these jobs generally manage the practical logistics of trying to create workplaces that are more welcoming for all employees — and more attractive to a broader pool of qualified candidates.
    Maria Aspan, NPR, 27 May 2025
  • Grab the Mercury Row Jacquelyn Accent Chair as a practical yet attractive addition to virtually any room in your home, and keep scrolling to discover more space-saving furniture on sale at Wayfair.
    Alexandra Kay, People.com, 25 May 2025
Adjective
  • That's why the new savings account for children included in the One, Big, Beautiful Bill , with a one-time deposit of $1,000 from the federal government, is truly beautiful to the investment community.
    Medora Lee, USA Today, 23 May 2025
  • The grounds are beautiful, the setting is tranquil, and the ceremonies held here every Memorial Day are filled with heartfelt patriotism.
    Staff report, Hartford Courant, 22 May 2025
Adjective
  • The scoring sequence followed a lovely Bobrovsky save on a shorthanded odd-man rush — the Cats firing on all cylinders.
    Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 23 May 2025
  • Why the lovely Mehri falls for such a loser — Hamid is one of the least charming grooms in recent memory — can only by explained by the lack of options available to her.
    Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2025
Adjective
  • The knotted fabric straps have an elevated look, making these cute enough to wear with your favorite sundresses and skirts.
    Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 1 June 2025
  • In addition to pool and beach looks, these slides look cute with baggy jeans and graphic tank tops, flowy midi dresses, and two-piece linen sets.
    Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 28 May 2025
Adjective
  • There was even a collaboration with Hello Kitty featuring Ito’s monstrous Tomie, a creature who resembles a pretty girl but can grow a copy of herself from her smallest part and infest her victims.
    Sam Thielman, New York Times, 21 May 2025
  • Fold linens neatly, use decorative baskets to corral smaller pieces, and work in a couple of decorative items such as a pretty storage box to dress up the piece.
    Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 May 2025
Adjective
  • These astronomers want to find them — Mysterious cosmic lights turn out to be 2 undiscovered supernova remnants — Watch 2 gorgeous supernova remnants evolve over 20 years (timelapse video) This lack of emissions poses challenges to determining the type of supernova that produced Teleios.
    Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 29 May 2025
  • Number of courts: 8. Synopsis: A gorgeous setting for tennis, with tall pines and oaks surrounding you on three sides.
    Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 29 May 2025
Adjective
  • Leave behind the city for mountains, refreshing lakes, and charming small towns.
    Lydia Mansel, Southern Living, 31 May 2025
  • Measuring over 4 feet tall and just shy of two feet wide, this charming furniture find offers loads of storage in both top and bottom compartments.
    Alexandra Kay, People.com, 30 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Comely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/comely. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

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