glamour

Meaning

Noun

1. (uncountable) Originally, enchantment; magic charm; especially, the effect of a spell that causes one to see objects in a form that differs from reality, typically to make filthy, ugly, or repulsive things seem beauteous.
2. (uncountable) Alluring beauty or charm (often with sex appeal).
3. (uncountable) Any excitement, appeal, or attractiveness associated with a person, place, or thing; that which makes something appealing.
4. (countable, uncountable) Any artificial interest in, or association with, objects, or persons, through which they appear delusively magnified or glorified.
5. (countable, uncountable) A kind of haze in the air, causing things to appear different from what they really are.
6. (countable) An item, motif, person, image that by association improves appearance.
7. (countable, slang) A beautiful woman.

Verb

To enchant; to bewitch.

Synonyms

glamor

charm

enchantment

splendour

allure

enchant

prestige

fascination

beauty

sorcery

witchcraft

magic

🪄

splendor

hex

jinx

seductiveness

sensuality

romance

sex appeal

bewitch

attractiveness

glory

witch

poetry

renown

resplendency

seduction

sheen

shimmer

shiner

sortilege

spell

spellbind

stardust

sublime

sublimeness

worth

wow

glamor girl

goety

magic spell

mesmerise

sexual passion

shade of colour

shade of color

pishogue

glamor

bewitching

bewitchment

coloring

Translations

charme

fascino

gloire

attrait

prestige

αίγλη

prestige

séduction

fotografia sexy

Zauber

γοητεία

Reiz

Glanz

Verzauberung

μαγεία

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈɡlæmə/

Etymology

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."