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ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Beau

/ˈbəʊ̯/ · noun

Meaning

(dated) A man with a reputation for fine dress and etiquette; a dandy or fop..

Definitions by Sense

  1. (dated) A man with a reputation for fine dress and etiquette; a dandy or fop.
  2. (dated, US, Canada) A male lover; a boyfriend.
  3. A male escort.
  4. A suitor of a lady.
  5. (ambitransitive) To act as a beau (towards); to court or woo.

Example Sentences

“[…]—I suppose your brother was quite a beau, Miss Dashwood, before he married, as he was so rich?” “Upon my word,” replied Elinor, “I cannot tell you, for I do not perfectly comprehend the meaning of the word. But this I can say, that if he ever was a beau before he married, he is one still, for there is not the smallest alteration in him.” “Oh! dear! one never thinks of married men’s being beaux—they have something else to do.”
[H]e could not but turn with ineffable contempt to the tawdry beaus and belles from the city, who presumed to mingle in the fashionable gala.
Hannah's beau takes all her time 'n' thought, and when she gits a husband her mother'll be out o' sight and out o' mind.
“I don’t see how. But anyhow, you’ll be rich some day—your Aunt Elizabeth will likely leave you all her money, Mother says. So I don’t care if you are living on charity—I love you and I’m going to stick up for you. Have you got a beau, Emily?” “No,” cried Emily, blushing violently and quite scandalized at the idea. “Why, I’m only eleven.”
Kristin Davis has taken time out to enjoy the surf and sand with her Australian beau, photographer Russell James.
Reporters ask her about her love life—her current beau is rumored to be Conor Kennedy, a grandson of Robert F. Kennedy—even if they get nowhere.
“[…] And now to think that Laura’s teaching school, and Almanzo Wilder’s beauing her home.” ”Oh, no! He isn’t!” Laura cried out. “It isn’t like that at all. He came for me as a favor to Pa.”
Everyone was feeling grandacious, as if getting dressed for a night of beauing.

Synonyms for beau

bloodpopinjaybarbermongerbeaubladebuckcarpet knightcockscombdandydikedooddudedudeletexquisitefashionablefast manfine gentlemanfopforetopfribblegallantgojack-a-dandyJemmy-Jessamyjettermacaronimashermetrosexualmignonpetit maître

Antonyms for beau

Related Words

fopdandyboyfriendfashion plategallantdudefellowswainswellyoung manclotheshorsesheikgood-lookinghandsomebeautyprettybeautifulgorgeouslovelycute

Word Forms

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does beau mean?

Beau means (dated) A man with a reputation for fine dress and etiquette; a dandy or fop..

What is a synonym for beau?

Common synonyms include blood, popinjay, barbermonger, beau.

What is the opposite of beau?

The opposite depends on the specific sense.

How do you use beau in a sentence?

“[…]—I suppose your brother was quite a beau, Miss Dashwood, before he married, as he was so rich?” “Upon my word,” replied Elinor, “I cannot tell you, for I do not perfectly comprehend the meaning of the word. But this I can say, that if he ever was a beau before he married, he is one still, for there is not the smallest alteration in him.” “Oh! dear! one never thinks of married men’s being beaux—they have something else to do.”

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.