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
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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
During the Comic Con panel, Evans called the festivities “wonderful and beautiful,” but said that he and his belle were happy to be winding down after the whole ordeal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2025
Once the press gets wind that Mary’s marriage has ended, the gossip is relentless, and the one-time belle of the ball can’t rustle up so much as a small tea party.
From Salon ● Sep. 14, 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
The woman was dressed like a Southern belle, just as Jason had described.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
To celebrate the victory, two buses, carrying players and staff, travelled from the club's ground at Belle Vue to Wakefield Town Hall for a civic reception.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
A new federal housing law is aimed at slashing red tape associated with producing modular and manufactured homes, the Journal’s Lily Belle Poling writes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
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
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
Tabitha Pritts, described by the local newspaper as “one of the most popular belles of the Nooksack Valley,” caught his eye, and he hers.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 20, 2023
"Our friends had been contacted by a movie company that wanted to film a fictional scene of Southern belles making their debut," he wrote.
From Salon ● Oct. 27, 2020
“So we are to countenance things and people which we detest, merely because we are not belles and millionaires, are we? That’s a nice sort of morality.”
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
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.
