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Jolie laide: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Jolie laide noun. A person, traditionally a woman, whose unconventional looks are strikingly attractive.
How to say it
zhol-ee LED/ˌʒɒli ˈlɛd/
3 syllables, stressed on the third (LED).
Jolie laide in a sentence
Casting directors love a jolie laide whose face the camera can't stop studying.
With her crooked smile and heavy brows, she was the classic jolie laide of sixties cinema.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- striking beauty
- unconventional beauty
Where jolie laide comes from
French for pretty-ugly.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
With her crooked smile and heavy brows, she was the classic _____ of sixties cinema.
- karma
- je ne sais quoi
- jolie laide
Show the answer
jolie laide: With her crooked smile and heavy brows, she was the classic jolie laide of sixties cinema.