beauty queen

IPA/ˈbjuːti kwiːn/
IPA/ˈbjuːti kwiːn/

beauty queen — noun

1. the female winner of a contest where people are judged mainly on how they look,

1.nounB1
Definition

the female winner of a contest where people are judged mainly on how they look, and often also on qualities such as talent, confidence, and communication skills.

Example

Trang wanted to be a beauty queen after seeing a pageant on TV.

The local beauty queen spent the following year visiting schools and raising money for charity.

collocation: local beauty queen

Common collocations
  • be crowned beauty queen
  • former beauty queen
  • local beauty queen
  • become a beauty queen
  • next beauty queen
  • beauty queen winner
Synonyms
  • pageant winner

    more specific because it names the type of contest (pageant); beauty queen is broader and more informal in tone

  • title-holder

    a neutral, professional term used within pageant organizations

  • crowned queen

    emphasises the moment of winning and the ceremonial aspect

Grammar Patterns

beauty queen + verb (is / was / became)

Usage Note

Frequently used with a modifying adjective before it, such as local, former, or next. The term refers specifically to the winner of a formal contest; referring to any attractive woman as a beauty queen is informal and can sound dated.

Common Mistakes

She is such a beauty queen' (meaning she is just pretty, not a contest winner).
She is very beautiful, but she has never won a beauty contest.
Beauty queen is not a general synonym for an attractive woman; it names a specific role as a competition winner.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Beauty queen refers specifically to the woman who wins a beauty competition, while beauty contestant describes anyone who enters but has not necessarily won. Pageant winner is broader — pageants often include scholarship, talent, or interview components beyond appearance, so the term sounds more formal and achievement-oriented. Title-holder is used within pageant organisations for the current person who holds a crown or rank; it has a professional, almost official tone. Beauty queen, by contrast, has a slightly more popular and media-friendly feel, often appearing in news headlines, festival announcements, and entertainment contexts. For example: 'The county fair crowned its new beauty queen on Saturday' sounds natural and celebratory, whereas 'the title-holder will travel to the national competition in June' sounds like an official statement.

pageant winnertitle-holder ↗beauty contestant

Common collocations

Phrases

  • be crowned beauty queen
  • former beauty queen
  • local beauty queen
  • become a beauty queen
  • next beauty queen
  • beauty queen winner
  • step down as beauty queen

Etymology

Old FrenchLatinOld EnglishEnglish

The word beauty comes from the Old French word bealte, which entered English around the 13th century and originally meant physical attractiveness. Queen comes from the Old English word cwen, meaning a king's wife or a woman of high rank. These two words were first combined in the early 20th century, when organised beauty contests became popular events at fairs and festivals.

First known use

1893

1893, in the meaning defined above