In a general sense, beautifull is used to describe anything that delights the senses and often the mind: a pretty picture, a lovely meal, an exquisite opera. It can also be used to describe an aspect of the landscape: that beautiful lake by town; the magnificent cliffs of the Grand Canyon. It can even be used as an adjective: a beautiful person, a beautiful house.
The word beauty is closely linked to meaning: it is seen as a sign of grace, a means of bestowing life and creating something new, and as a vehicle of transcendence, the ability to achieve true human nature. In the past, it was considered that beauty could be a way to experience communion with the divine. Today, it is still widely believed that the beauty of an object can give a person a privileged glimpse into the underlying essence of its creator.
It is usually pronounced single /l/, except when used as an adjective: then it is spelt with two l’s. The word is closely related to the words lovely, charming, and stunning. The latter two have a slightly different implication, with lovely suggesting something light and charming, while stunning implies that something is very impressive or striking. Beautifull is sometimes confused with the word wonderful, though the latter implies an extraordinary or fantastic aspect, and beautifull is more closely associated with a pleasing quality: that lovely meal; that gorgeous sunset.
A person’s sense of what is beautiful can vary from culture to culture. In the West, for example, men generally prefer women with larger eyes and fuller lips; symmetrical faces; and smaller noses and chins. This is partly because of hormones activated by the sight of these features, but also because they are believed to be the characteristics that are most likely to attract a mate. This preference is not shared by all cultures, as evidenced by the fact that Asian men and some Native American tribes prefer women with more slender faces.
The beauty of an object or a person can inspire care. People tend to take better care of things that they consider beautiful, whether it is a work of art or a natural monument. This care can lead to theoretical consideration and practical conservation, if it is based on an unselfish regard for the beauty of others and a decentered perspective. However, the deliberate destruction or neglect of objects that are considered beautiful provokes outrage around the world.