belle

noun \ ˈbel \

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

Definition of belle

: a popular and attractive girl or woman; especially : a girl or woman whose charm and beauty make her a favorite

the belle of the ball

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Recent Examples of belle from the Web

McVay was the tight ends coach under Kyle Shanahan and now is the coach of the year, belle of the ball.

— peter king, SI.com, "On Draft QBs, Trade Rumors and a New Rule That Might Change Football Forever," 1 Apr. 2018
Sometimes called the most compact metropolis in the world, the city is easy to explore by foot, and when your daily commute involves a stroll along the shore of Lake Geneva, well, la vie est belle. 7.

— sebastian modak, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Best Cities for Expats," 21 Mar. 2018
Parsi has a noble use for Streetcar, which is to take Williams's classic tale of Blanche DuBois, ruined southern belle, and update it for our present, brutish moment.

— tony adler, Chicago Reader, "Novid Parsi’s Through the Elevated Line is a slavish update of a masterpiece," 21 Mar. 2018
The story follows a young girl with an extraordinary gift for making dresses, and a prince who secretly dons her creations to become the belle of the ball.

— brittany martin, Los Angeles Magazine, "This L.A. Illustrator Just Created the Gender-Fluid Fairy Tale We All Need," 16 Mar. 2018
Zayn and Gigi walk the red carpet together at the Met Gala and are the beau and belle of the ball in Versace and Tommy Hilfiger, respectively.

— peggy truong, Cosmopolitan, "A Definitive Timeline of Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid's Relationship," 13 Mar. 2018
His frequent network and cable TV appearances offer him an outlet, but the State of the State is truly the last night for the potential 2020 Republican presidential aspirant to be center stage - the belle of the ball.

— andrew j. tobias, cleveland.com, "Talk it Out: What do you want to hear from John Kasich when he delivers his final State of the State address tonight?," 6 Mar. 2018
Actresses from Jane Seymour to Gina McKee have struggled to nail her distinctive accent: Southern belle meets arriviste aristocrat.

— joanna scutts, The New Republic, "Wallis Simpson Was No Bold Forerunner," 6 Mar. 2018
Which of these Southern belle names is your favorite?

— Southern Living, "Our Favorite Baby Names For Southern Belles," 2 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'belle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of belle

French, from feminine of beau beautiful — more at beau

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First Known Use: 1622

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BELLE Defined for English Language Learners

belle

noun

Definition of belle for English Language Learners

: a very attractive and popular girl or woman

BELLE Defined for Kids

belle

noun \ ˈbel \

Definition of belle for Students

: an attractive and popular girl or woman

Learn More about belle

See words that rhyme with belle Spanish Central: Translation of belle Nglish: Translation of belle for Spanish speakers

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belle

Definition of belle

Recent Examples of belle from the Web

Origin and Etymology of belle

BELLE Defined for English Language Learners

belle

Definition of belle for English Language Learners

BELLE Defined for Kids

belle

Definition of belle for Students

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belle

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