glam

1 of 2

noun

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

2 of 2

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
To no surprise, Zendaya has won over fans with her grand-slamming glam for each Challengers (2024) premiere leading up to today’s nationwide release. India Espy-Jones, Essence, 26 Apr. 2024 As for glam, Collins brought her signature bold lip to the carpet teamed with a smoky eye Gibson dressed the part in a classic tuxedo. Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 24 Apr. 2024 Zendaya polished off both looks with timeless glam, including natural makeup and a sleek side part. Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 24 Apr. 2024 Megan served up Hollywood glam to the max at the Planned Parenthood of Greater New York Gala on April 16, attending the event in a classic combo of black gown, tumbling waves, and red lips. Kara Nesvig, Allure, 18 Apr. 2024 From the costumes to the set design, the series highlights the colorful glam of the era. Marianne Garvey, CNN, 18 Mar. 2024 From the Academy Awards to the Dune promotional circuit (a style event in its own right), manes of pre-Raphaelite waves are the ultimate in soft, fantastical glam. Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 14 Mar. 2024 Lana Del Rey is bringing the music — and the glam — to Coachella! Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024 Instead of going over the top with her glam, Moore opted to let her dress do the talking with a minimal makeup, bar some rosy blush and touch of pink on her lips. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 7 Apr. 2024
Verb
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 So, get ready to glam up your next shopping haul and discover the top-notch products that deserve a spot in your cart. Samantha Booth, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2023 In preparation for the ceremony, Hollywood’s biggest aestheticians, colorists, hairstylists, makeup artists, nail artists and stylists are traversing L.A. to glam up their A-list clients. Jackie Fields, Peoplemag, 7 Jan. 2024 Find it on Amazon Makeup Palette For those who love to glam up, this LAURA GELLER NEW YORK Party in a Palette Gift Set has made Oprah’s favorites list this year and is a travel-friendly collection of makeup palettes that can create a full-face look. Margaret Drake, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2023 While many applauded the effort, others voiced frustration about the cleanup to glam up the streets. Louis Casiano, Fox News, 29 Nov. 2023 Find it on Amazon Sustainable Makeup Brush Set Get ready to glam up sustainably with this Jenny Patinkin Makeup Brush Set. Margaret Drake, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2023 All jokes aside, Poehler and Fey know how to glam up. Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 22 June 2023 However, the women are pampered with a hair, makeup and wardrobe team to glam them up on set. Alicia Vrajlal, refinery29.com, 21 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'glam.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of glam was in 1940

Dictionary Entries Near glam

Cite this Entry

“Glam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glam. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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