ENGLISH
REFERENCE

glamour

n. uncountable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈɡɫæmɝ// UK //ɡlˈæmɐ// glam·our Slang

n. an attractive or exciting quality that makes someone or something seem special. It is often connected to wealth, fashion, or fame.

n. an alluring or fascinating quality of attractiveness, especially one that is associated with wealth, style, or celebrity. Frequently associated with visual aesthetics and high-status social environments.


SIMPLE

The old movie star still has a lot of glamour.

CONTEXTUAL

The fashion show was full of glamour, with famous models wearing expensive jewelry and designer dresses.

COMPLEX

While the travel industry often markets international journalism as a life of pure glamour, the reality usually involves long hours in transit and significant physical exhaustion.

Synonyms
Origin

Borrowed from Scots glamour (“magic”), alteration of Middle English gramere (“grammar”), from Old French gramaire. Doublet of glamoury, gramarye, grammar, and grimoire. A connection has also been suggested with Old Norse glámr (“the moon", also "the name of a ghost”, poetic byname, literally “the pale one”) and glámsýni (“glamour, illusion”, literally “glam-sight”). From Grettir's Saga aka Grettis Saga, one of the Sagas of Icelanders, after the hero has been cursed by Glam, aka Glamr: "...he was become so fearsome a man in the dark, that he durst go nowhither alone after nightfall, for then he seemed to see all kinds of horrors. And that has fallen since into a proverb, that "Glam lends eyes", or gives Glamsight to those who see things nowise as they are."

Usage

Typically uncountable when referring to the abstract quality of being attractive or exciting.

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