Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

bathing beauty

American  
[bey-thing] / ˈbeɪ ðɪŋ /

noun

  1. an attractive woman in a bathing suit, especially an entrant in a beauty contest.


bathing beauty British  
/ ˈbeɪðɪŋ /

noun

  1. Also called (old-fashioned): bathing belle.  an attractive girl in a swimming costume

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of bathing beauty

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I’m a bathing beauty and an ex-Broadway showgirl, so I like to soak in the bath with Epsom salt.

From New York Times • Jun. 10, 2023

More than a bathing beauty, she had once been a promising talent as a pianist and could hold her own, charming large audiences.

From Washington Post • Jan. 5, 2015

She was selling clothes in a Wilshire Boulevard department store when showman Billy Rose tapped her for a bathing beauty job at the World’s Fair in San Francisco.

From Time • Jun. 6, 2013

She was selling clothes in a Wilshire Boulevard department store when showman Billy Rose tapped her for a bathing beauty job at the World's Fair in San Francisco.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 6, 2013

The Savoy, the Golden Gate, and the Renaissance ballrooms battled for the crowds—the Savoy introduced such attractions as Thursday Kitchen Mechanics’ Nights, bathing beauty contests, and a new car given away each Saturday night.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "bathing beauty" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com