adonis

IPA/əˈdəʊnɪs/
KK[ədˈɑnəs]IPA/əˈdəʊnɪs/

adonis — noun

  • adonissingular
  • adonisesplural

1. a young man who is considered exceptionally good-looking

1.nounC1
Definition

a young man who is considered exceptionally good-looking

Example

At the wedding, Nia's cousins kept calling the groom an Adonis.

pattern: call + someone + an Adonis

Camille joked that Kevin looked like an Adonis in his white suit.

pattern: look like an Adonis

Common collocations
  • real Adonis
  • local Adonis
  • bronzed Adonis
Synonyms
  • hunk

    more casual and often more focused on a strong, muscular body

  • heartthrob

    focuses on someone many people are romantically excited by, especially a celebrity

  • pretty boy

    can sound less admiring and may suggest a polished or delicate style

Grammar Patterns

[be] an Adonis

look like an Adonis

call + someone + an Adonis

Usage Note

Often used humorously or with admiration, especially when someone's looks seem almost too perfect. It usually focuses on physical beauty rather than personality.

Common Mistakes

The actress was an Adonis on the red carpet.
The actor was an Adonis on the red carpet.
This word is used for a very handsome man, not for a woman.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words can describe an attractive man, but <i>Adonis</i> is the most allusive and slightly elevated. It suggests striking male beauty and often sounds playful or admiring. A <i>hunk</i> is more casual and usually points to a muscular, strongly physical kind of attractiveness. A <i>heartthrob</i> is someone who inspires romantic excitement in many people, especially fans of a singer, actor, or athlete. A <i>pretty boy</i> can be admiring, but it often hints that the man looks youthful, polished, or a little too aware of his appearance. If Kevin walks into a party looking movie-star handsome, a friend may call him an Adonis. If fans scream for him at a concert, he is more likely a heartthrob.

adonis ↗hunk ↗heartthrob ↗pretty boy

Common collocations

Phrases

  • be an Adonis
  • look like an Adonis
  • call someone an Adonis

Etymology

GreekEnglish

The word comes from Adonis, the famously beautiful young man in Greek mythology. In English, his name came to be used as a common noun for a man whose appearance seems almost ideal. Because of that origin, the word often sounds more playful, literary, or exaggerated than ordinary words like <i>handsome</i>.