beau
beau — noun
- beausingular
- beausplural
1. a woman's regular male romantic partner, especially one she is dating or in a re
a woman's regular male romantic partner, especially one she is dating or in a relationship with
Hana brought her beau to the family dinner on Saturday evening.
possessive determiner + beau: 'her beau'
Yael's beau surprised her with tickets to Taipei for her birthday.
The old photograph showed Grandma Rosa with her wartime beau.
When Megan introduced her beau to the group, everyone liked him immediately.
Hoa told her roommate all about the new beau she met at the library.
- boyfriend
the standard modern term; used in all registers and contexts
- sweetheart
more romantic and can apply to either gender; also somewhat old-fashioned
- suitor
more formal and dated, often implies a man actively seeking marriage
用法筆記
Old-fashioned in modern conversation — boyfriend or partner is preferred in everyday speech. Commonly found in historical fiction, nostalgic contexts, or for a slightly literary effect.
常見錯誤
2. someone, typically a man, who gives excessive attention to his clothing and pers
someone, typically a man, who gives excessive attention to his clothing and personal appearance, dressing in a showy or elaborate style
Asher dressed like an eighteenth-century beau, with a silk waistcoat and powdered wig.
historical context: eighteenth-century beau
The character in the novel is a wealthy beau who spends hours choosing his clothes.
literary context: character described as a beau
At the ball, the young beau adjusted his lace cuffs and brushed off his coat.
Heather's grandfather was known as the town beau because of his stylish suits.
The garden party attracted every local beau in his finest summer linen.
- dandy
the most common alternative for this meaning, though still old-fashioned
- fop
strongly British and very dated, often implying silliness in dress
- fashion plate
dated but emphasizes being a model of current fashion
用法筆記
Very dated in modern English — rarely used outside historical descriptions or period fiction. The word dandy, though also dated, is more widely recognized today.