60 Uniquely Beautiful French Words With Meanings

By
, Staff Editor
Updated January 5, 2023
definition of "éblouissante" from the article
  • DESCRIPTION
    women having fun in the front seat of a vintage car with french word éblouissante and meaning
  • SOURCE
    Christian Thomas / fStop / Getty Images / via Getty created by YourDictionary
  • PERMISSION
    Used under Getty Images license

Using beautiful French terms can make anyone sound more elegant and kind. Learn some pretty French words you can incorporate into your everyday language to add beauty to your life.

Gorgeous French Words That Mean Beautiful

Just like in the English language, there are many ways to say “beautiful” in French.

  • attrayant (masculine adjective) - attractive
  • belle (feminine adjective) - beautiful
  • charmante (feminine adjective) - charming or lovely
  • éblouissante (feminine adjective) - dazzling
  • étonnante (feminine adjective) - astonishing
  • étourdissante (feminine adjective) - stunning
  • jolie (feminine adjective) - pretty
  • magnifique (feminine adjective) - magnificent or gorgeous
  • mignon (masculine adjective) - good-looking or cute

Romantic French Terms That Celebrate Love

As a romance language, French words are known for their beautiful sounds and meanings. These love words can help bring some romance to your love life.

  • amour (noun) - love
  • amoureuse (noun) - girlfriend
  • amoureux (noun) - boyfriend
  • bisous (masculine noun) - kisses
  • des tourtereaux (plural noun) - lovebirds
  • embrasser (verb) - to kiss
  • fleur (feminine noun) - flower
  • chérie (feminine noun) - darling
  • tendresse (feminine noun) - affection or tenderness
  • trésor (masculine noun) - treasure
definition of "embrasser" from the article
  • DESCRIPTION
    man kissing his wife on her forehead with french word embrasser and meaning
  • SOURCE
    PeopleImages / iStock / Getty Images Plus / via Getty created by YourDictionary
  • PERMISSION
    Used under Getty Images license

Elegant French Style Words

Familiar French words and phrases used in everyday English tend to be fashion words. These terms are stylish in both sound and meaning.

  • arabesque (feminine noun) - Arabic style
  • argenté (feminine adjective) - silver
  • aubergine (feminine adjective) - eggplant/dark purple color
  • bijou (masculine noun) - jewel
  • cache-coeur (verb) - crossed/wrapped over the chest
  • chapeau (masculine noun) - hat
  • chaussures (plural noun) - shoes
  • chemisier (masculine noun) - blouse
  • foncé (feminine adjective) - dark
  • marinière (feminine noun) - Breton style
  • mélanger (verb) - mix
  • moyenne (masculine noun) - medium
Advertisement

Inspirational and Cute French Words

If you’re looking for a little inspiration in life, a few French words can motivate you to do and be more.

  • alunissage (feminine noun) - moon landing
  • bienvenue (verb) - welcome
  • chatoyer (verb) - to shimmer
  • espérer (verb) - hope
  • esprit (masculine noun) - mind
  • etoile (feminine noun) - star
  • félicitations (plural noun) - congratulations
  • flâner (verb) - to wander with no destination in mind
  • gentil (masculine noun) - kind
  • meilleur (masculine noun) - best
  • rayonner (verb) - to radiate or shine
  • rêvasser (verb) - to daydream
  • vivant (feminine nouns) - alive
definition of "flâner" from the article
  • DESCRIPTION
    man walking in autumn coloured forest with french word flâner and meaning
  • SOURCE
    Francesco Vaninetti Photo / Moment / Getty Images / via Getty created by YourDictionary
  • PERMISSION
    Used under Getty Images license

Beautiful French Words With Simple Meanings

Even the French words for unpleasant, scary and mundane things can be beautiful.

  • araignée (feminine noun) - spider
  • blaireau (masculine noun) - badger
  • boulangerie (feminine noun) - bakery
  • camion (masculine noun) - truck
  • chanson (feminine noun) - song
  • coccinelle (feminine noun) - ladybug
  • deuxième (noun) - second
  • grenouille (feminine noun) - frog
  • grisaille (feminine adjective) - grayness or gloominess
  • jonquille (feminine noun) - daffodil
  • mademoiselle (feminine noun) - miss (unmarried woman)
  • pâquerette (feminine noun) - small wild daisy
  • pâtisserie (feminine noun) - pastry shop
  • poisson (masculine noun) - fish
  • troisième (noun) - third
  • vivace (feminine adjective) - perennial
Advertisement

Pour L'amour de la Beauté

“For the love of beauty,” you can use French dictionaries to help you find beautiful French terms. If you want to continue this multicultural exploration of beauty, check out the 25 most beautiful Latin words.