1.
beautiful woman; beauty
A physically attractive woman. Slightly literary or formal compared to neutral 美人; often used in set phrases, news headlines, and entertainment-industry contexts.
彼女は有名な美女だ。
She is a famous beauty.
パーティーには美女が大勢集まっていた。
Many beautiful women had gathered at the party.
昔話には、王子が呪いをかけられた美女を救う場面がよく出てくる。
In old folk tales, scenes often appear in which a prince rescues a beautiful woman who has been put under a curse.
Slightly more literary and formal than 美人. Common in titles, headlines, idioms, and fairy-tale contexts.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 絶世の美女: a peerless beauty
- 美女と野獣: Beauty and the Beast
- 美女揃い: a gathering of beautiful women
- 才色兼備の美女: a beauty with both talent and looks
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 美人: beautiful woman — the most neutral, everyday term
- 美少女: beautiful young girl — emphasizes youth
- イケメン: handsome man — male counterpart in casual speech