lipstick

American  

[lip-stik] / ˈlɪpˌstɪk /

noun

lipsticks plural

1. a crayonlike oil-based cosmetic used in coloring the lips, usually in a tubular container.

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lipstick British  

/ ˈlɪpˌstɪk /

noun

1. a cosmetic for colouring the lips, usually in the form of a stick

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• lipsticks
  plural

Etymology

Origin of lipstick

An Americanism dating back to 1875–80; lip + stick ¹

Explanation

Lipstick is makeup that makes your lips look darker, redder, or shinier. Your French teacher might be famous in your school for her heart-shaped glasses and bright pink lipstick. Some people like to wear lipstick every day, while others save it for fancy occasions. Most lipstick is a waxy, slightly creamy substance in a stick that's tinted with red pigment that colors your lips. It's a cosmetic that dates back at least to medieval times, and probably even farther back than that. In the 1600s, a fashionable look for upper class European women was a pale white face and bright red lipstick.

Example Sentences

Los Angeles-based Arabelle Sicardi, writer of the newsletter “You’ve Got Lipstick on Your Chin,” offers a virtual nose-training course.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2025

Last year, sales of a new Milani mascara spiked after an influencer couple known as The Lipstick Lesbians posted a TikTok video about it, Lowenstein said.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 25, 2024

Queen and Lipstick Under my Burkha were among a handful of films that were led by women actors and revolved around strong female characters.

From BBC • Jul. 11, 2023

Pinzan’s father gave her Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie’s “Don’t Let the Lipstick Fool You: The Making of a Champion,” but the process was exhausting.

From Washington Post • Mar. 3, 2023

Rose studied the book’s photo of the Lipstick Building for a long time, then just nodded her head real fast again without looking up.

From "The Stars Beneath Our Feet" by David Barclay Moore

Related Words

• paint