glam

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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 advent of female singer-songwriters; the invention of queer or transgressive subgenres such as disco, punk, and glam; and the proliferation of female instrumentalists.

—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

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verb

glammed; glamming; glams

transitive verb

informal

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

—usually used with up

The modern woman has a difficult enough time trying to put together a look that suits her personality and lifestyle without seeing those … 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. Now I look for all the bootleg Aerosmith T-shirts, cut all the cool stuff off 'em and have Teresa or Lisa … make 'em into pants."

—Steven Tyler

Examples of glam in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

For her glam, Comer’s blond hair was styled in soft, natural waves by DJ Quintero. —Julia Teti, WWD, 4 Nov. 2024

From the tumbler to the serum, which was among the products that made their debut when the brand launched in 2021, the kit has glam written all over it. —Jackie Fields, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024

Verb

And to glam it all up, add a pair of shimmery bow earrings and metallic slingback heels. —Victoria Montalti, refinery29.com, 5 June 2024

While the actress appears to love her casual wear, she also has been known to glam it up for special occasions, including to the premiere of her latest movie, Family Switch. —Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 13 Jan. 2024

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