noun
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charm and allure; fascination
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fascinating or voluptuous beauty, often dependent on artifice
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( as modifier )
a glamour girl
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archaic a magic spell; charm
Spelling
See -or 1.
Etymology
Origin of glamour
First recorded in 1710–20; from Scots glamar, glamer, dissimilated variant of grammar in sense “occult learning”
Explanation
Glamour is the quality of being fascinating, alluring, or charming. If you've watched Marilyn Monroe on a movie screen, then you've witnessed glamour! The word glamour originally referred to a magical or even unreal charm or beauty attached to a person or an object. Today you can still glamour, or cast a spell over, someone, but you probably won’t. More often glamour is now used to mean a certain thrilling or attractive appeal. Glamour is more than just good looks — the right clothing, jewelry, attitude, or friends can produce glamour — the mark of a star.
Vocabulary lists containing glamour
And the Oscar Goes to... Award-worthy Words
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Awkward
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The Cruel Prince
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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.
“This union of artistry and vision transformed the property into a singular masterpiece, embodying the glamour and creative force of Hollywood’s Golden Age,” the description goes on.
From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026
But what the trip to Italy soon revealed was how important her glamour and popular appeal is to the Royal Family.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
The popular Catholic prayer app Hallow adds some celebrity glamour with guided prayers from the actors including Mark Wahlberg and Jonathan Roumie, who played Jesus in the TV series “The Chosen.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
Frozen in time yet alive with glamour and spontaneity, these moments are part of a new exhibition in Istanbul featuring previously unseen shots by Turkey's legendary Magnum photographer Ara Guler at the Cannes Film Festival.
From Barron's • May 10, 2026
It made her husband’s job exciting and wonderful and it gave her some glamour as well.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
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.
