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jolie laide

British  
/ ʒɔli lɛd /

noun

  1. a woman whose ugliness forms her chief fascination

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of jolie laide

literally: pretty (attractive) ugly woman


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:

McKinniss is simply good—well-trained, confident, displaying an uncommon facility with paint, punctuated by controlled moments of jolie laide sophistication.”

From The New Yorker ● Mar. 24, 2017

Bardem is back to normal brown hair today, a large presence in a London hotel room, with a slight look of Depardieu about him; jolie laide, if that term was ever used for a man.

From The Guardian ● Oct. 12, 2012

She was a fine equestrienne, a most beautiful dancer, apparently naturally graceful, and bore the sobriquet of la jolie laide.

From Women in the Life of Balzac by Juanita Helm Floyd

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