Handsomenesses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality of being attractive or pleasing in appearance
2. The state of possessing physical beauty or charm that captivates others
3. A characteristic of having a striking and appealing look that stands out

Etymology: "Handsomenesses" is simply the plural of "handsomeness," so the story is that of its base word "handsome" and the suffix that turns it into an abstract noun. The base word began in Middle English as "hondsom," built from "hond," the Old English "hand," plus "-som," a suffix meaning "-some" in the sense of "having a certain quality," and it originally described something easy to handle or manage. Over time the sense shifted toward attractiveness in appearance, so the word's earliest meaning concerned skill and usefulness with the hands rather than looks. The suffix "-ness," which turns an adjective into a noun for a quality, comes from Old English "-nes," and attached to "handsome" it produced "handsomeness," meaning the state of being attractive or pleasing in appearance. Because "handsomeness" is an uncountable abstract noun, its plural is uncommon, and the form appears mainly when someone is comparing several distinct kinds or instances of good looks.

Synonyms: beauties, stunningnesses, prettinesses, elegances, charm

Antonyms: ugliness, plainness, unattractiveness, dullness, repulsiveness