Word.ws English Dictionary

handsome is that handsome does

handsome is that handsome does is the alternative form of handsome is as handsome does.

Meaning of handsome is as handsome does

Proverb

handsome is as handsome does

  1. Handsomeness is defined by actions, not by appearance.
    • Miss Trotwood, or Miss Betsey, as my poor mother always called her, when she sufficiently overcame her dread of this formidable personage to mention her at all (which was seldom), had been married to a husband younger than herself, who was very handsome, except in the sense of the homely adage...1869, Dickens, David Copperfield

Questions about handsome is that handsome does

What is handsome is that handsome does the alternative form of?
Handsome is that handsome does is the alternative form of handsome is as handsome does.

Words near handsome is that handsome does in the dictionary

  1. handsoaps
  2. handsome
  3. handsome devil
  4. handsome devils
  5. handsome is as handsome does
  6. handsome is that handsome does
  7. handsomed
  8. handsomeish
  9. handsomely
  10. handsomeness
  11. handsomenesses

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: handsome is that handsome does (page history and authors); handsome is as handsome does (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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