What does glamourous mean?
Glamourous means attractive or appealing in the polished, exciting way associated with beauty, elegance, celebrity, or high fashion. It is an adjective and a less common spelling variant of glamorous, with glamorous usually more frequent in contemporary English, especially in American usage. A person, outfit, occasion, or setting can be called glamourous, although the word often suggests deliberate visual allure and may be associated with fashion magazines, film stars, or formal events. The term can carry a slightly old-fashioned or promotional tone, so writers sometimes choose alluring, elegant, or dazzling when they want a more specific effect. Its appeal is partly historical: glamour originally referred to magic or enchantment before acquiring its modern sense of compelling beauty. The word remains useful because it condenses the idea of spectacular attractiveness into a vivid, readily understood description, while its variant spelling preserves a connection with the older British form of the language.
adjectiveHaving an attractive or exciting appeal, especially through beauty, elegance, celebrity, or spectacle.
- Attractive or appealing in a polished, exciting, or spectacular way.
"She wore a glamorous silver dress to the awards ceremony."
"The leading pair made their entrance on the glamorous red carpet."
"The play provides a glamorous vision of 1920s theatre life."
Glamour was once a Scottish word for magic; glamourous is its modern descendant in the world of stars, style, and spectacle.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does glamourous come from?
Glamour entered English from the Scottish word glamor, an alteration of gramary, meaning “magic” or “the occult.” The word was ultimately associated with Latin grammaticus and Greek gramma, both connected with writing or letters. English later developed the sense of compelling beauty or allure, and glamourous was formed as an adjective by adding the suffix -ous.
Related word forms
How glamourous is actually used
Glamourous is a standard but less common spelling variant of glamorous, which is generally more frequent in contemporary English, especially in American usage. The word often carries connotations of beauty, elegance, celebrity, and luxury, and it can sound somewhat old-fashioned or promotional in formal or editorial contexts.
Easily confused with glamourous
Glamourous is a less common spelling variant of glamorous, and the two words have the same meaning and pronunciation.