formoso

Formoso is a Portuguese adjective meaning beautiful, handsome, or aesthetically pleasing. It derives from the Latin formosus, meaning well-formed or harmonious, and is related to terms such as formosidade and formosura, which denote beauty or loveliness.

In contemporary Brazilian and European Portuguese, formoso is used in formal, literary, or poetic contexts to describe people, landscapes, objects, or scenes with pleasing form or composition. The feminine form is formosa, and the adverbial form is formosamente. The word can convey a sense of grace or noble beauty rather than mere prettiness.

Formoso also appears in toponymy, with several places in Portuguese-speaking countries—particularly Brazil—having the word as part of their names. Such usage reflects cultural associations with beauty and harmony in the landscape.

As a linguistic root, formoso is connected to variations that express related ideas of beauty or attractiveness. It is distinct from but related to similar forms like formosa, which share the same origin but may function differently in naming and syntax depending on context.