Beauty is a quality that gives deep pleasure to your senses or mind. When you see a stunning sunset painting the sky in oranges and purples, or hear a piece of music that makes you feel something profound, or read a poem that captures an idea perfectly, you're experiencing beauty.

Beauty appears in countless forms. A mathematician might find beauty in an elegant equation that solves a complex problem simply. An athlete might see beauty in a perfectly executed play. A carpenter might appreciate the beauty of a well-made joint in a piece of furniture. Beauty exists in what we see, and also in ideas, sounds, movements, and even in how people treat each other.

People have debated for thousands of years what makes something beautiful. Some things, like symmetrical faces or certain musical harmonies, seem to strike almost everyone as beautiful. But beauty is also personal: you might find beauty in a scraggly old tree that someone else thinks is ugly, or love a song that your friend can't stand.

The word can describe people, places, objects, or ideas. When something is beautiful, it has beauty. When you beautify something, you make it more beautiful.