belle
noun
a woman or girl admired for her beauty and charm.
belle
1 American
[bel]
/ bɛl /
noun
-
belles
plural
-
a woman or girl admired for her beauty and charm.
-
the most beautiful, charming, or engaging woman or girl among a number.
the belle of the ball.
Belle
2
American
[bel]
/ bɛl /
noun
belle
British
/ bɛl /
noun
-
a beautiful girl or woman
-
the most attractive or admired girl or woman at a place, function, etc (esp in the phrase the belle of the ball )
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of belle
1615–25; < French; Old French bele < Latin bella, feminine of bellus fine, good-looking. See beau
Explanation
A belle is a young woman singled out for being more attractive and charming than other women, as in the phrase belle of the ball. Cinderella was the belle of the ball, at least until midnight. Belle comes from the Latin bella for “beautiful.” If you ever hear a woman being called a belle, it has nothing to do with ringing; she's super foxy. A Southern Belle is a lovely girl from the South, like Scarlett O’Hara from Gone with the Wind. A belle can be from anywhere, though, as long as she stands out. A belle has rivals, but she is more attractive and desirable. The belle is a little like the prom queen.
Vocabulary lists containing belle
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
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"Girls Like Us" by Gail Giles
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Ben and Me
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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.
See Examples For:
In his quest to transform Kimberly-Clark to an engine of growth and a true challenger in the beauty and wellness space, he said he always considered Kenvue to be “the belle of the ball.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2025
So when the belle of the ball took a break from the revelry and sat down to order a drink, I subtly repositioned myself on the couch across from her.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2025
Many of them were built in the early 20th century - grand belle epoque palaces serving a then emerging class of privileged, primarily English tourists.
From BBC ● Mar. 2, 2025
An hour later in a slightly sweaty hotel ballroom bedecked with “Unionize California” signs, Friedman was being treated like the belle of the ball at the California Labor Federation’s annual awards dinner.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2024
Robbie was there, too, bustling about in a floral-print dress like the belle of the ball—albeit a matronly belle—making sure all her students had arrived with sheet music in hand.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
He was walking on stage to greet Belle, played by Kyra Belle Johnson, and relied on her expression to let him know if he was in danger.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
He suggests following Isabelle, Belle and Steve on their various social channels.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Guests on the Reading Cafe have included young adult author Emily Varga, comic book writer Mark Millar and Stuart Murdoch, the singer with indie pop band Belle & Sebastian.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
It comprises four main hotel buildings, from the Belle Epoque to the ultra-modern, plus seven restaurants, along with other villas and residences.
From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026
Like Belle, I swear he talks with his eyes.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Now, thanks to how fast AI is changing, they are the belles of the ball.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 26, 2026
If the pure plays are the current belles of the ball, IBM could be the long-term keeper for investors.
From Barron's ● Dec. 10, 2025
There are no benevolent white belles and polite gentlemen in “Emancipation,” no trace of the grotesque plantation fantasies so beloved by old Hollywood.
From New York Times ● Dec. 1, 2022
“The whole thing was presented as just gushing about the antebellum era, the southern belles, and how it was such a great time to be alive,” Wolfisberg said of Boone Hall.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 19, 2022
I just kept walking across the huge room until below me was a pile of hay belles.
From "Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key" by Jack Gantos
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.
