pompadour

pompadour — noun

1. a hairstyle, usually for men, with the hair above the forehead brushed upward an

1.nounC2
Definition

a hairstyle, usually for men, with the hair above the forehead brushed upward and then back

Example

The barber brushed Evan's front hair up into a neat pompadour.

pattern: brush [hair] up into a pompadour

At the music show, three singers wore tall pompadours and black jackets.

Common collocations
  • high pompadour
  • classic pompadour
  • wear a pompadour
  • cut a pompadour
Synonyms
  • quiff

    also lifts the front, but it is often shorter and less full

  • slick-back

    pushes the hair back smoothly, with less height at the front

Antonyms
  • buzz cut

    very short all over, without any lifted front section

Grammar Patterns

a pompadour

wear a pompadour

style hair into a pompadour

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 2: this is the more common modern use and usually refers to a men's cut with visible height over the forehead. It often appears in talk about barbers, stage style, or older pop looks.

Common Mistakes

The barber gave Max a pompadour by shaving all his hair short.
The barber gave Max a pompadour by lifting the front hair high.
A pompadour needs raised hair at the front, not just a short cut.

2. a women's hairstyle with the front hair rolled up and back in a soft raised shap

2.nounC2
Definition

a women's hairstyle with the front hair rolled up and back in a soft raised shape

Example

The stylist pinned Mia's front hair into a soft pompadour.

pattern: pin [front hair] into a pompadour

For the wedding, Nora wore a pompadour with curls behind it.

Common collocations
  • soft pompadour
  • wedding pompadour
  • pompadour with curls
  • pin a pompadour back
Synonyms
  • updo

    a broad term for pinned-up hair; a pompadour names the raised front part

  • bouffant

    suggests fuller volume overall, not just a rolled front section

Antonyms
  • fringe style

    keeps hair falling over the forehead instead of lifting it back

Grammar Patterns

a pompadour

wear a pompadour

pin hair into a pompadour

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is used for a front roll in women's styling, especially formal or older looks. The height is usually softer and is often combined with curls or pinned sections behind it.

Common Mistakes

Sara wore a pompadour by tying all her hair in a bun.
Sara wore a pompadour by rolling the front hair up and back.
A bun gathers the whole hair mass, but a pompadour highlights the front section.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These words all describe styled hair, but they point to different shapes. A pompadour builds clear height above the forehead and then sweeps the hair back. A quiff also lifts the front, but it is usually shorter, looser, and more casual. A slick-back pushes the hair straight back and often looks flatter and shinier. A bouffant suggests fullness over a larger area of the head, often in older women's fashion. An updo is the broadest term: it means hair pinned up for a formal look and may not lift the front at all. Ask for a pompadour when you want noticeable front height, not simply hair brushed back or pinned up.

pompadour ↗quiffslick-backbouffantupdo

Common collocations

Nouns

  • pompadour hairstyle
  • pompadour cut

Phrases

  • wear a pompadour
  • style hair into a pompadour
  • classic pompadour

Prepositions

Etymology

FrenchEnglish

The name comes from Madame de Pompadour, a well-known woman at the French royal court in the 1700s. English later used her name for a raised hairstyle linked with her image, and then widened it to front-lifted styles worn by both men and women.