# beau

/ˈboʊ/ (US) · /bˈəʊ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/beau
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. a boyfriend

noun · CEFR C1 · Archaic · Literary

a male lover or boyfriend.

For teachers: a male suitor or romantic partner. Often used in historical or literary contexts.

- In the old novel, the young woman waited for her beau to return from the city.
- The protagonist spent the summer months entertaining various beaus, though none seemed to capture her genuine affection.

Usage: The plural can be spelled either 'beaus' or 'beaux'.

Teaching tip: This sense is mostly found in older literature or used humorously today; learners should use 'boyfriend' or 'partner' in modern speech.

### 2. a fashionable man

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

a man who is very interested in wearing fashionable clothes and having good manners.

For teachers: a man who excels in or is overly concerned with fashion, style, and social etiquette; a dandy.

- He was known as a beau of the highest order, never seen without a perfectly tied silk scarf.
- The 18th-century social scene was dominated by beaus who spent hours on their appearance before attending the evening's festivities.

### 3. to court someone

verb · CEFR C2 · Archaic

to act as a boyfriend or to try to win someone's romantic interest.

For teachers: to escort, court, or woo a romantic interest.

- He spent the entire evening beauing her around the ballroom.
- It was expected that he would beau her to the opera, as their families had already discussed a potential match.

## Examples

- She introduced her new beau to the family at dinner.
- In the classic novel, the young woman spent the summer waiting for a letter from her handsome beau.
- The protagonist's mother was constantly inquiring after her daughter's latest beau, hoping for a match that would secure the family's social standing.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.