beauty contest
Americannoun
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a competition in which the entrants, usually women, are judged as to physical beauty and sometimes personality and talent, with the winners awarded prizes or titles.
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Informal. any contest, election, etc., that is decided on the basis of popularity.
noun
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a competition in which the participants, usually women, are judged on their attractiveness, with a prize, and often a title, awarded to the winner
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informal any contest decided on the basis of superficial attractiveness, popularity, etc
the referendum might turn into a party political beauty contest
Etymology
Origin of beauty contest
First recorded in 1895–1900
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.
Born in Tunisia to Sicilian parents in April 1938, Cardinale won a beauty contest at 16 that saw her declared "the most beautiful Italian woman in Tunis".
From BBC
He did not see golf as any kind of beauty contest.
From BBC
He pushed her towards the limelight at an early age, entering her in the Miss UK beauty contest.
From BBC
She had spent weeks in Mexico preparing for the finale of the prestigious beauty contest.
From BBC
Or perhaps entering an international beauty contest with the ultimate aim of launching your modelling career on the world stage.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
