# Is it wrong to describe a guy as pretty / beautiful?



## Paper Samurai (Oct 1, 2009)

I guess the result of the increase in metrosexuality in the last decade or so; but the terms that use to be exclusively applied to woman are being used with men. And no, not in the context of just overly effeminate guys - but seemingly as a compliment.

What are your thoughts on this? Would the guys here mind this being applied to them, and would the girls here use it positively to describe someone they're attracted to?

I have been called pretty jokingly by close friends btw, and by a girl who I later found out had a crush on me - at the time of the latter I literally did not know how to react ( :blank <- face at the time lol)


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## loquaciousintrovert (May 23, 2011)

I've heard guys described as both, but a guy who is called pretty is usually called so in a pejorative manner.

I call men beautiful all the time, it's gender neutral to me.


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## theseshackles (Apr 23, 2011)

It's pretty unusal to use those terms for a guy. What should be used is "handsome".

If I frequently got those descriptions I'd definitely start to worry that I'm looking feminine :teeth


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## orchidsandviolins (Jul 8, 2011)

I've called guys beautiful before. But if I use that word it's because I adore their personality. Beautiful to me, is just a lot more sincere than handsome. Handsome to me, just means being physically good looking.


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## Addler (Apr 28, 2011)

I call some men beautiful and gorgeous, less so pretty. I also call some women handsome. As with many descriptors, it depends how you use them.


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## gopherinferno (Apr 7, 2009)

Bill Kaulitz. 

All ima say.


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## Addler (Apr 28, 2011)

^^

Also, LOVE your signature. Takes me right back to Medieval Lit!


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## Diacetylmorphine (Mar 9, 2011)

I wouldn't be bothered, and I'm not a metrosexual in the slightest.
I've recieved a similar comment in the past, she said 
"_you have pretty eyes_"

I was rather shocked and found it amusing, but didn't bother me at all.
I consider it a compliment.


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## Raulz0r (Jun 4, 2011)

I can't say I'd mind a girl telling me I'm pretty, I did receive on a few occasions a compliment about my long eyelashes, one girl said "Oh god, you have some very beautiful eyelashes, I would kill to have mine like yours"


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## angus (Dec 18, 2010)

I would be insulted if some one called me pretty.


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## Raulz0r (Jun 4, 2011)

Even if it's from a girl?


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## asdfasdfasdfas (Jul 10, 2011)

Only if you're in prison.


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## Paper Samurai (Oct 1, 2009)

ohpewp said:


> Bill Kaulitz.
> 
> All ima say.


*Searches Googles

touche :b



Addler said:


> Also, LOVE your signature. Takes me right back to Medieval Lit!


Thanks  I believe it was an inscription on a gargoyle - I really like the irony of it.



Daniel89 said:


> I wouldn't be bothered, and I'm not a metrosexual in the slightest.
> I've recieved a similar comment in the past, she said
> "_you have pretty eyes_"
> 
> ...


Shock is definitely the best way to describe my reaction too :b. As someone else above mentioned; context is probably key here.


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## Jessie203 (Feb 20, 2008)

I think that's weird.. girls are pretty/gorgeous/beautiful/sexy.. guys are handsome/sexy/w.e else.. lol

I'm not calling my bf pretty.. if I did he'd just laugh and do a girly giggle like "oh, thankss HEHEEHEHE" because it's RETARDED. LOL


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## TheDaffodil (Jun 20, 2009)

I don't think it's wrong. I think it depends on the intentions of the person using the word. I wouldn't say a guy is pretty unless I was saying "pretty boy" and that has more to do with his looks + having an attitude because he knows people will think he's attractive, not as a compliment. I could say a guy is beautiful, and that would mean his looks + who I think he is inside, as a compliment. I don't think a guy could be as beautiful as woman, though. :b


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## Bethy (Jun 23, 2011)

I used to call my ex gorgeous all the time and he got pissed at me, hmmm.


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## Onomatopoeia (May 27, 2011)

As long as the word 'pretty' doesnt preceed 'boy' then Im ok with it. That has an entirely different contextual meaning IMO...

Rather hear the traditional 'handsome' for a guy and 'beautiful' or 'gorgeous' for a girl.


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## Aloysius (Jul 16, 2008)

No, I think I'm pretty beautiful.


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## rockyraccoon (Dec 13, 2010)

I think if a man is called beautiful or gorgeous (terms which have never been said to me) it's not really a problem. I believe these terms to be gender neutral. But I think calling someone pretty should be reserved for the ladies.


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## Oscar7 (May 20, 2011)

I think it's totally fine, if it's meant as a compliment. Pretty and beautiful just means they think you're good looking. Whatever it is, it works for me!


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## PickleNose (Jul 11, 2009)

I personally wouldn't mind being called anything that means "you look good". But of course, they'd be lying unless they liked ugly people.


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## heroin (Dec 10, 2010)

I'll take any of those, to be honest. Beggars can't afford to choose.


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## mastershake (Jun 8, 2011)

I think Justin Bieber is pretty


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## Kennnie (Oct 21, 2010)

your pretty for a guy


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## CosmicNeurotica (Sep 26, 2009)

Only females are pretty and beautiful because they are works of art. 
Men are hairy beasts. If you call any straight man pretty, that would be an insult. 

But that's why pretty and beautiful are associated more with women. They are like beautiful flowers and paintings and all of the heavenly things on earth. 
Men are not that..


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## johnstamos (Sep 9, 2010)

Not at all, take a look at John Stamos.


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## AK32 (Sep 2, 2010)

I don't think it's weird some guys are beautiful.


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## StarryNights2089 (Jun 22, 2011)

I don't believe so, I call guys beautiful all the time. XDD


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## Georgina 22 (Jan 4, 2009)

I think it's ok to call guy's beautiful. I sometimes call my boyfriend beautiful :b


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## riverrunner (Jul 14, 2011)

I think it depends on the guy.
Handsome guys tend to have more masculine features: wide shoulders, a square jaw, tall, strong bone structure, things like that.
Pretty guys have softer features.
And beautiful can be applies to either pretty or handsome, in my opinion, as long as they were awe-worthy in terms of looks.


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## BetaBoy90 (Jan 5, 2010)

Definitely not, I connect the words pretty and beautiful more towards girls, but there are many guys who have female qualities in their appearance and do look quite pretty. I don't personally see it as that disrespectful or anything as I'm thinking for me to actively view a guy in that way he not only would have to possess those physical qualities, but probably would also make them stand out in his appearance with personal grooming and fashion sense.


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## ShatteredGlass (Oct 12, 2012)

bump.

I think this is based on personal taste. Obviously, a lot of men will definitely not appreciate this because they'll see it as an attack on their masculinity, but I don't think I would mind to a certain degree. I like compliments like "you have pretty eyes" or "you're cute" (I consider the word cute to be a bit more feminine too). I consider the word "pretty" to be the feminine version of "handsome", so I'd rather be called handsome on compliments on my face or body because it is closer to who I am, a male. I don't mind my eyes being called pretty because eyes naturally aren't affected by gender. Pretty is complimenting the feminine body, while handsome is complimenting the masculine body.

The word "beautiful" is slightly gender neutral than pretty, but it still leans mostly on the feminine side. I don't personally call anybody beautiful, I prefer to call people "cute" or "hot" regardless of gender. I especially don't think I'd call a man beautiful because it could be seen as an attack on his masculinity and it would probably embarrass him (and me).


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## HenDoggy (Jul 26, 2014)

I guess if they are androgynous looking..


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## Imbored21 (Jun 18, 2012)

Yes it's wrong. Any self respecting guy will take pretty as an insult. If you want to compliment a guy don't say handsome either. Use terms like hot or sexy. We want girls to get wet when they look at us. Handsome sounds like someone's dad.


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## TabbyTab (Oct 27, 2013)

No but I'm sure girls and guys would feel uncomfortable being called handsome or pretty. There's just not that much adjectives for guys to describe their looks or at least not any that are "acceptable"


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## SunshineSam218 (Dec 6, 2013)

I've called a few men beautiful before, they weren't sure on how to react to it but they weren't upset by it either.


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## Persephone The Dread (Aug 28, 2010)

TabbyTab said:


> No but I'm sure girls and guys would feel uncomfortable being called handsome or pretty. *There's just not that much adjectives for guys to describe their looks or at least not any that are "acceptable"*


This is true. I guess because of gender roles historically, women weren't supposed to compliment a guys physical appearance, between that and the need to emphasise masculinity, there aren't a lot of accepted ways of doing this. Handsome seems kind of old fashioned, some guys find cute insulting, hot/sexy is too strong usually, and pretty and beautiful are considered insults.

I'd probably just think it and not say anything because most guys would find that insulting and it's too much of a risk when you're not trying to offend someone.


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## Mrs Salvatore (Mar 27, 2014)

Persephone The Dread said:


> I'd probably just think it and not say anything because most guys would find that insulting.


You think? I would think if a guy looked pretty, he was probably trying to.


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## probably offline (Oct 8, 2012)

I highly doubt that any guy would mind being called beautiful.


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## TicklemeRingo (Jan 11, 2013)

I'd be happy with it.

But then I don't really care what word you use. They all basically mean the same thing:_ "I think you are good-looking"_


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## Persephone The Dread (Aug 28, 2010)

Mrs Salvatore said:


> You think? I would think if a guy looked pretty, he was probably trying to.


Not necessarily, some people are naturally pretty/beautiful, depending on personal definition of course.

And yeah, some guys really don't like that. Well, scan through the responses here


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## Mrs Salvatore (Mar 27, 2014)

Persephone The Dread said:


> Not necessarily, some people are naturally pretty/beautiful, depending on personal definition of course.
> 
> And yeah, some guys really don't like that. Well, scan through the responses here


Well either way I would hope no one is calling a stranger pretty and beautiful. You could get a feel for someone's personality and know if they are the type of macho man who would be upset by it.


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## Cmasch (Jan 24, 2015)

I wouldn't mind. It just seems like an unusual compliment ,and I would probably be caught off guard and laugh. I've only been called "cute" which also feels weird to me. I've never been called "handsome" or "hot" I feel like it's almost a second hand compliment if someone calls me cute. That could just be my insecurity shining through though... as it's known to do from time to time.


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## Esteban (Dec 8, 2014)

It depends on where you live


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## blue2 (May 20, 2013)

Pretty like a grizzly bear beautiful like a volcanic eruption would be fine


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## tea111red (Nov 8, 2005)

I don't really think so. Some men are beautiful, lol. Like works of art.


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## zonebox (Oct 22, 2012)

Paper Samurai said:


> I guess the result of the increase in metrosexuality in the last decade or so; but the terms that use to be exclusively applied to woman are being used with men. And no, not in the context of just overly effeminate guys - but seemingly as a compliment.
> 
> What are your thoughts on this? Would the guys here mind this being applied to them, and would the girls here use it positively to describe someone they're attracted to?
> 
> I have been called pretty jokingly by close friends btw, and by a girl who I later found out had a crush on me - at the time of the latter I literally did not know how to react ( :blank <- face at the time lol)


I think it is insulting, I would not like to be described as being pretty. I'm a rugged mofo, that wears a worn out ball cap, plaid shirts, and drives a truck. I'm not a dainty little flower, that is delicate to the touch.

Heck, even the girls I liked in the past were not "pretty", they were sort of rugged too.


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## Persephone The Dread (Aug 28, 2010)

Mrs Salvatore said:


> Well either way I would hope no one is calling a stranger pretty and beautiful. You could get a feel for someone's personality and know if they are the type of macho man who would be upset by it.


Well I was talking about strangers/acquaintances/people you know but maybe don't know well to be honest. If it's someone you know really well, and you know how they'll react, then sure, but that's not always the case when you feel like complimenting someone.


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## SilentLyric (Aug 20, 2012)

I would love to be a pretty guy. That would be a huge compliment if someone told me that. Great. Now I'm worrying over my looks. >_<


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## Paper Samurai (Oct 1, 2009)

I don't know if I should feel flattered that a couple of my old threads have been bumped the last couple of weeks lol.

Bit jarring though, when I first click on the thread and I wonder if I actually wrote the post that's attached to my name.


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