Hi Anna, Handsome means good looking, physically attractive. We tend to use it when we talk about men. When we use it for women, it means they are healthy, good looking and strong.

I think "beautiful in a manly way" is an excellent definition of the way it is used most of the time in everyday conversation. One dictionary says "Pleasing in form or appearance, especially having strong or distinguished features: a handsome man; a woman with a handsome face." Because of changing gender roles and language, it is hard to be sure any answer is completely accurate.

Handsome means 1. exciting aesthetic pleasure due to proportion, symmetry, or elegance. 2. having a pleasing appearance that causes romantic or sexual feelings in someone. Nowadays handsome is used to describe men, so for many people it means beautiful in manly way. Is a handsome man as attractive as a beautiful woman? It depends. For many women handsome men are more attractive than beautiful women. For many men beautiful women are more attractive than handsome men. Other adjectives for describing very attractive men are: Stunning Gorgeous Hunky Good-looking Beautiful Hot

For women, I would add "stylish" to the possible meaning list.