belle

IPA/bel/
KK[bˈɛl]IPA/bel/

belle — noun

  • bellesingular
  • bellesplural

1. a woman seen as the most admired and best-looking person at a social event or in

1.nounC2
Definition

a woman seen as the most admired and best-looking person at a social event or in a community

Example

People called Elena the belle of the summer festival that year.

belle of + event

At the dance, Clara was clearly the belle of the room.

belle of + place

Common collocations
  • belle of the ball
  • belle of the town
  • belle of the evening
  • village belle
Synonyms
  • beauty

    broader and less tied to one event or group.

  • beauty queen

    usually means a woman who has won a beauty contest.

  • charmer

    emphasizes a pleasant effect on other people, not only looks.

Antonyms
  • wallflower

    especially at a dance, a person who gets little attention.

Grammar Patterns

the belle of the ball

the belle of the town

the belle of the evening

the village belle

Usage Note

Usually appears in phrases like the belle of the ball or the belle of the town. The word sounds old-fashioned today and is mostly used in historical, literary, or playful contexts.

Common Mistakes

She is a belle in our office.
She was the belle of the office party.
belle usually refers to being the most admired woman in a particular social setting, not to general attractiveness.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Belle is a dated word for the woman who is considered the most admired in a particular social scene, such as a dance, town, or party. Beauty is broader and can describe any very attractive woman without suggesting a contest inside one group. Beauty queen is narrower and usually points to an official pageant winner. Charmer shifts the focus from appearance to a pleasing, attractive manner. So you might call someone the belle of the ball at a party, but the winner of a contest is a beauty queen, and a warm, funny guest who wins people over may be a charmer.

beauty ↗beauty queen ↗charmer ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • village belle
  • society belle
  • southern belle

Phrases

  • belle of the ball
  • belle of the town
  • belle of the evening

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Belle came into English from French belle, the feminine form of beau, meaning "beautiful". The French word goes back to Latin bellus, which meant "pretty" or "handsome". In English, belle became a social word for the woman seen as the most admired beauty in a place or at an event.