Glamour is a special kind of attractiveness that combines beauty, excitement, and a touch of mystery. When someone has glamour, they don't just look good: they seem fascinating, almost magical, like they belong to a more exciting world than everyday life.

Movie stars from Hollywood's golden age had glamour. They wore elegant gowns, stepped out of limousines, and seemed to shimmer with sophistication. Fashion models walking down runways in Paris have glamour. Even places can have glamour: New York City at night, with its glittering lights and busy streets, has glamour that a quiet suburban town doesn't.

Glamour is different from simple beauty or niceness. Your friend might be beautiful and kind, but glamour requires something more: a sense of allure and mystique. It's the difference between a comfortable pair of sneakers and a pair of shiny dress shoes that make you walk differently.

Glamorous people and things can seem to cast a spell that makes them more captivating than they really are. That's why we sometimes talk about the glamour of certain careers, like being a pilot or a diplomat, even though the actual work involves plenty of ordinary, unglamorous tasks.