glamour girl: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Informal, journalistic
Quick answer
What does “glamour girl” mean?
A woman whose appearance and lifestyle are defined by sophisticated, fashionable, and sexually attractive elegance, often in the context of entertainment, fashion, or celebrity culture.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A woman whose appearance and lifestyle are defined by sophisticated, fashionable, and sexually attractive elegance, often in the context of entertainment, fashion, or celebrity culture.
A woman whose public image is carefully cultivated to project an aura of luxury, beauty, and allure, often for professional purposes in modelling, acting, or as a socialite. The term can imply a degree of artificiality or performance in the presentation.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning. The spelling 'glamour' is standard in both, though 'glamor' is an accepted US variant for the root word, rarely used in this compound.
Connotations
Slightly more antiquated or nostalgic in UK usage, often evoking mid-20th century Hollywood. In US usage, it can feel more contemporary, linked to modern celebrity culture.
Frequency
Moderate and roughly equivalent in both varieties. More common in tabloid journalism, entertainment news, and biographical descriptions than in everyday conversation.
Grammar
How to Use “glamour girl” in a Sentence
[Determiner] + glamour girl + [of the 1960s]She was dubbed/crowned the + glamour girl + of...Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “glamour girl” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- She had a certain glamour-girl aesthetic.
American English
- He was tired of the glamour-girl lifestyle.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in industries like fashion, PR, or entertainment marketing (e.g., 'The brand signed the glamour girl as their new face.')
Academic
Very rare. Might appear in film studies, cultural studies, or gender studies discussing media representations.
Everyday
Informal, used in conversation about celebrities, fashion, or to describe someone's aspirational style.
Technical
Not applicable.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “glamour girl”
Strong
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “glamour girl”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “glamour girl”
- Using it to describe any attractive woman (it implies a public, stylized image). Misspelling as 'glamor girl' (acceptable but less common).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It can be, but it's nuanced. It compliments style and allure but can also imply the attractiveness is superficial, professional, or manufactured rather than natural or intellectual.
No, the term is specifically gendered. A roughly equivalent term for a man could be 'heartthrob', 'matinee idol', or 'style icon'.
An 'It girl' is defined by current, intense popularity and trend-setting. A 'glamour girl' is defined by a sustained, polished image of luxurious beauty. All glamour girls might be 'It girls', but not all 'It girls' have the classic, polished 'glamour' image.
It has a mid-20th-century ring to it but is still used, often with a hint of nostalgia or to deliberately evoke a classic style. Modern equivalents often use 'influencer', 'style icon', or simply 'celebrity'.
A woman whose appearance and lifestyle are defined by sophisticated, fashionable, and sexually attractive elegance, often in the context of entertainment, fashion, or celebrity culture.
Glamour girl is usually informal, journalistic in register.
Glamour girl: in British English it is pronounced /ˈɡlæmə ɡɜːl/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈɡlæmɚ ɡɝl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “She's not just a pretty face, but a true glamour girl of the business world. (Extended/figurative use)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of GLAMOUR as GLeaming AMOUR (French for 'love') – a girl associated with the gleaming, shiny world of love and attraction presented by media.
Conceptual Metaphor
ATTRACTIVENESS IS A COMMODITY / PUBLIC PERSONA IS A MANUFACTURED PRODUCT.
Practice
Quiz
In which context would 'glamour girl' be LEAST appropriate?