Despite all
evidence to the contrary, pulchritudinous is used to describe a person of great physical
attractiveness. No one is quite sure why this is, because the word *sounds* like something unpleasant on the bottom of your shoe.
This is possibly due tothe fact that it shares sounds with words such as sepulchre,
repulsive, cretin, lewd, and pus.
It's a good word to use when you'd like someone to *think* you're insulting them.
It is in no way synonymous with lugubriousness. But it should be.