beautifully

beautifully — adverb

1. with a look, sound, or style that gives strong pleasure because it is lovely.

1.adverbB1
Definition

with a look, sound, or style that gives strong pleasure because it is lovely.

Example

Mina sang beautifully during the school concert in April.

sing beautifully

The old church was beautifully lit for the evening wedding.

passive: be beautifully lit

Common collocations
  • sing beautifully
  • beautifully arranged
  • beautifully lit
  • beautifully written
  • beautifully decorated
Synonyms
  • attractively

    broad and neutral; often used for appearance rather than sound

  • gracefully

    stresses smooth, elegant movement more than general beauty

  • elegantly

    often suggests simple good taste and careful style

  • exquisitely

    stronger and more literary, for exceptional beauty

Antonyms
  • unattractively

    describes something lacking visual or artistic appeal

  • awkwardly

    suggests a clumsy or uncomfortable style rather than beauty

Grammar Patterns

sing beautifully

write beautifully

be beautifully arranged

be beautifully lit

Usage Note

Common with art, music, writing, rooms, and objects that are arranged or shown in an attractive way. Distinguish from adverb/2: this sense points to beauty itself, not mainly to how well something works out.

Common Mistakes

Mina sang beautiful at the concert.
Mina sang beautifully at the concert.
after a verb, use the adverb beautifully, not the adjective beautiful.
The room was beautiful decorated for the party.
The room was beautifully decorated for the party.
use beautifully before a past participle in passive descriptions.

2. with excellent results, or with a pleasing effect that feels especially satisfyi

2.adverbB1
Definition

with excellent results, or with a pleasing effect that feels especially satisfying.

Example

The new brakes worked beautifully on the wet mountain road.

work beautifully

After two hours in the oven, the bread rose beautifully.

cook or bake beautifully

Common collocations
  • work beautifully
  • rise beautifully
  • behave beautifully
  • go beautifully with
  • mix beautifully with
Synonyms
  • excellently

    focuses on very high quality or performance

  • wonderfully

    adds a warm emotional tone of pleasure

  • smoothly

    stresses ease and lack of problems rather than pleasure

  • nicely

    more everyday and weaker in force

Antonyms
  • badly

    the broad opposite when something performs or turns out poorly

  • poorly

    slightly more formal than badly for weak results

Grammar Patterns

work beautifully

cook beautifully

go beautifully with

mix beautifully with

Usage Note

Often used when something functions, develops, or fits together better than expected: work beautifully, cook beautifully, behave beautifully, go beautifully with something. Distinguish from adverb/1 when the focus is success or a pleasing result rather than beauty in appearance or sound.

Common Mistakes

The plan worked beautiful in the end.
The plan worked beautifully in the end.
after worked, use the adverb form.
This yellow scarf matches beautifully to the coat.
This yellow scarf goes beautifully with the coat.
this sense commonly uses go beautifully with for things that look good together.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

'Beautifully' is the broadest choice when something looks, sounds, or is presented in a way that gives strong pleasure. 'Attractively' is close, but it usually stays with outward appearance and is less emotional. 'Gracefully' adds the idea of smooth, easy movement, so it often fits dancers, swimmers, or someone lifting a cup. 'Elegantly' suggests taste, simplicity, and careful design rather than beauty alone. A singer can perform beautifully, a window can be attractively painted, a skater can move gracefully, and a small black dress can be elegantly cut. Use 'beautifully' when you want the fullest sense of beauty, not only neat style or smooth motion.

beautifully ↗attractivelygracefullyelegantly

Common collocations

Phrases

  • beautifully made
  • beautifully done

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishModern English

The word 'beautifully' comes from the adjective 'beautiful' plus the adverb ending '-ly'. 'Beautiful' reached English through French from a Latin root linked to the idea of something fine or pleasing to look at. The adverb later developed to describe doing something with beauty, and then more generally doing it extremely well.