What does "pompadour" mean?
A women's hairstyle in which the hair is swept upwards from the face and worn high over the forehead.
Pompadour
/ˈpɒmpədʊə/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A women's hairstyle in which the hair is swept upwards from the face and worn high over the forehead.
- Grammar: pompadour is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: barber, bob, coif, coiffure.
- Useful contrasts: buzzcut, crew cut, dishevel.
- Usage evidence: Madame de Pompadour was Louis XV's mistress.
How to use "pompadour"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "pompadour" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "pompadour" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "pompadour" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "pompadour" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "pompadour" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "barber" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "pompadour", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A women's hairstyle in which the hair is swept upwards from the face and worn high over the forehead.
- 2 a hair style in which the front hair is swept up from the forehead wordnet
- 3 A men's hairstyle of the 1950s.
"Squat and perspiring, with a low pompadour and a thin black mustache, he was inevitably disheveled by evening."
- 4 A crimson or pink colour.
"[…] head, neck, and whole under parts fine but very deep crimson or pompadour-colour […]"
- 5 A corsage with low square neck.
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A pattern for silk, with leaves and flowers in pink, blue, and gold.
- 7 A member of the 56th (West Essex) Regiment of Foot, an infantry regiment in the British Army, active from 1755 to 1881. UK, historical, slang
Verb
- 1 To style hair into a pompadour
"But by mid-afternoon we had both grown tired of putting on and taking off the clothes my mother and Beata had made for Lillian Russell, and of taking down and pompadouring again the wig Beata had turned backside front so it should be long where ladies' hair was supposed to be long."
- 2 style women's hair in a pompadour wordnet
Example
"Madame de Pompadour was Louis XV's mistress."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "pompadour"?
Common synonyms include: barber, bob, coif, coiffure, groom, hairdo.
How do you use "pompadour" in a sentence?
Madame de Pompadour was Louis XV's mistress.
How do you pronounce "pompadour"?
Pronounced /ˈpɒmpədʊə/.
Etymology
From French Pompadour, after Madame de Pompadour (1721–1764), mistress of Louis XV.