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.
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
“We were just trying to show them that it’s really important, and we’ll try to help you get started,” said Crumm, , a financial planner and owner of Belle Eve Financial.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026
Current utilizers of the smaller cut include the buzzy Vanderbilt heir Belle Burden’s “Strangers,” George Saunders’ darkly humorous “Vigil” Lena Dunham’s millennial-tinged tell-all “Famesick” and the infamously tablet-sized “Transcription” from Ben Lerner.
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
“What’s scary in this scenario is that Belle is a lawyer,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
“You sly creature! Of course we meant the young man,” exclaimed Miss Belle, laughing.
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.
