glam

1 of 2

noun

ˈglam 

1

: glamour

When it came to glam, the 36-year-old rocked a rosy smokey eye and a pink lip.

—India Roby

… Cow Creek Ranch … in south Shasta County has three separate homes decorated in Hollywood-style American West glam.

—Jessica Skropanic

2

: glam rock

The 1970s saw … the invention of queer or transgressive subgenres such as disco, punk, and glam …

—Alyxandra Vesey

glam adjective

a glam look

glam gowns

The clip opened with [Khloe] Kardashian's glam squad tending to her face and hair …

—Ashleigh Gray

… finds his expressive voice … amid the tones of … acoustic guitars and hammily epic glam anthems.

—Tribune News Service

glam

2 of 2

verb

glammed; glamming; glams

transitive verb

informal

: to make (someone or something) glamorous or more glamorous

—usually used with up

… supermodels strut the runways of Paris, Milan, and New York all glammed up in a breathtaking Galliano tulle explosion or impeccably tailored Westwood period piece.

—Paul Matthews

Making his feature directorial debut, Director X … shoots in Atlanta instead of Harlem, glamming up the story with fast cars, hip-hop and lots more women than the original …

—Sara Stewart

—sometimes used with out

I don't bother with getting glammed out with fancy stuff like I used to.

—Steven Tyler, quoted in Rolling Stone

Examples of glam in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Delighting in that ’80s maximalist glam, Rihanna makes a strong case for the return of tiger print. —Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 21 Jan. 2026

Why not go a little glam with your monthly mani? —Rebecca Norris, InStyle, 20 Jan. 2026

Verb

Elle Fanning adds a slight wave to her hair with the ends softly rolled under to glam-up a blunt bob. —Elise Tabin, InStyle, 14 Jan. 2026

Pair it with cushioned sneakers for a comfortable and casual sightseeing look, or glam it up with heels and jewelry for an evening-ready ensemble. —Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 6 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

short for glamour or glamorous

Verb

derivative of glam entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1961, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1940, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing glam

• glam rock