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• belle
  belle

  noun

  a woman or girl admired for her beauty and charm.
• Belle
  Belle

  noun

  a first name, form of Bella.

belle

¹ American  

[bel] / bɛl /

noun

• belles
  plural

1. a woman or girl admired for her beauty and charm.

2. the most beautiful, charming, or engaging woman or girl among a number.

   the belle of the ball.

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Belle ² American  

[bel] / bɛl /

noun

1. a first name, form of Bella.

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belle British  

/ bɛl /

noun

1. a beautiful girl or woman

2. the most attractive or admired girl or woman at a place, function, etc (esp in the phrase the belle of the ball )

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• belles
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of belle

1615–25; < French; Old French bele < Latin bella, feminine of bellus fine, good-looking. See beau

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

belle Belle belles

The recollections are told, often, as if the person interviewed is back at a time when Parker seemed like a simple, bubbly, unaffected Texas belle.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

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

A few feet away, decked out like the belle of the ball, is Katherine, surrounded by a few of the drovers.

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

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

Stephen Grzyb, 22, was being transported by contractor GEOAmey from Belle Vale custody suite to Liverpool Magistrates' Court to face burglary charges on Saturday.

From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026

The city is the birthplace of the modern hot air balloon, dating back to 1967 when the Bristol Belle was built and flown in the area.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

Lily Belle Poling is a reporting intern and a member of the summer 2026 newsroom intern class at The Wall Street Journal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

Two weeks later, Roosevelt traveled to Spain to attend Kermit’s wedding to Belle.

From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple

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

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

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