beau
- 01 C1 Advanced
n.a male lover or boyfriend.
n.a male suitor or romantic partner. Often used in historical or literary contexts.
Simple“In the old novel, the young woman waited for her beau to return from the city.”
In context“The protagonist spent the summer months entertaining various beaus, though none seemed to capture her genuine affection.”
UsageThe plural can be spelled either 'beaus' or 'beaux'.
Teacher's tipThis sense is mostly found in older literature or used humorously today; learners should use 'boyfriend' or 'partner' in modern speech.
- 02 C2 Proficiency
n.a man who is very interested in wearing fashionable clothes and having good manners.
n.a man who excels in or is overly concerned with fashion, style, and social etiquette; a dandy.
Simple“He was known as a beau of the highest order, never seen without a perfectly tied silk scarf.”
In context“The 18th-century social scene was dominated by beaus who spent hours on their appearance before attending the evening's festivities.”
Synonymsdandyfop - 03 C2 Proficiency
v.to act as a boyfriend or to try to win someone's romantic interest.
v.to escort, court, or woo a romantic interest.
Simple“He spent the entire evening beauing her around the ballroom.”
In context“It was expected that he would beau her to the opera, as their families had already discussed a potential match.”
Shortened from surname type given names such as Beauregard or Beaumont, or from the French word beau.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.