dame

noun

ˈdām How to pronounce dame (audio)
Definition of damenext
1
as in dowager
a dignified usually elderly woman of some rank or authority as the grand dames of local society, they determined which charities received support

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in lady
a woman of high birth or social position the lords and dames of the shire eagerly awaited the royal visit

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dame The English actress — officially a dame as of 2015 — studied at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before making her screen debut in 1951. — Maggie Fremont, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Aug. 2026 Condado Vanderbilt Hotel After a century reigning seaside over San Juan’s upscale Condado neighborhood, Condado Vanderbilt Hotel has handily earned its title as the island’s grand dame. — Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 4 Aug. 2026 Ariane lies to him and pretends to be an experienced dame and never reveals her real name. — Air Mail, 18 July 2026 Another grand Historic District dame, The Pamlico House is a Colonial Revival home tucked away on a quiet residential street just blocks from the main drag. — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for dame
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dame
  1. dowager
  2. lady
  3. matron
  4. queen
  5. countess
Noun
  • The show’s underpinned by the differences in character and country of Lady Cora and her formidable mother-in-law, the dowager Countess Violet Crawley, played by the equally formidable and much missed Dame Maggie Smith.
    — Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 22 July 2025
  • The empress dowager’s legacy Empress Dowager Ling was largely unsuccessful in her bid for power.
    — Stephanie Balkwill, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2025
Definition of dowager
Noun
  • The drunkest of the three drunk ladies gives the historical cannon a kick, then does some comical hopping around, indicating, Ouch, my foot.
    — George Saunders, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The lady handling the cart would flip them on a griddle, perfectly crisping them on each side, before sliding them onto a plate.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of lady
Noun
  • Investigators also found that the bus matron, who had nearly 20 years of experience, made no effort to communicate with the driver or contact the school.
    — Doug Williams, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • An extremely unattractive teenage girl who resembled a forty-year-old matron in a women’s prison rather than a young woman fresh on the road to self-discovery approached me.
    — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of matron
Noun
  • Argentina’s queen of perreo-rave has become a South American it-girl, landing buzzy domestic collaborations with Dillom and Emilia Mernes, and strutting into the international spotlight with guest spots on tracks from Shy Girl and Yeri Mua.
    — Richard Villegas, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Rihanna, Beyoncé — of course the OG queens, the Patti LaBelles, the Stephanie Mills, all of them like that.
    — Michael Saponara, Billboard, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of queen
Noun
  • The villa was built in 1854 to be the lakeside estate for a countess and her family, but just 20 years later, was converted into a hotel.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • When Bridget and Lizzie meet in Monster, the two bond over a French book that Bridget has with her, an account of the 16th-century countess Elizabeth Báthory (called Elizabetta on the show, also played by Vicky Krieps).
    — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of countess

Phrases Containing dame

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damaging
dame
dames
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Cite this Entry

“Dame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dame. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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