MAIDENLY Synonyms: 47 Similar and Opposite Words

maidenly

adjective

Definition of maidenly

as in virginal

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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 maidenly Virgo Virgo is symbolized by the maidenly virgin, which often leads to the misconception that Virgos are prudish and innocent. — Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, 25 Oct. 2017

Recent Examples of Synonyms for maidenly

Adjective

For her portrayal of the virginal Catholic girl who persuades Terry to take a stand and make something of himself, Saint won the best supporting actress Oscar in 1955.

— Duane Byrge, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
The female figures of the Three Graces represent the literal gift of a woman giving her virginal body to a man as property bestowed upon a new owner.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of virginal

Adjective

His youthful experiences of flight and cultural assimilation inform a great deal of his work, which centers themes of belonging, identity, and collective memory.

— News Desk, Artforum, 15 Oct. 2026
There’s an atemporal quality to Guitarrica’s music, at once vibrant and youthful, of its moment with pop hooks but simultaneously pulling from the traditional sounds of flamenco and rumba.

— Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of youthful

Adjective

Video on social media showed distressed shopkeepers begging young men to stop stealing their inventory—and those young men pushing them aside to grab shoes and food from their shelves.

— Jim Edwards, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Such laws would require third-party audits of social media algorithms to identify any harmful patterns, such as serving eating-disorder content to young girls more than to other groups.

— Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of young

Adjective

This time, Jesse Eisenberg’s anxious and ambitious Mark Zuckerberg from the previous picture — a boyish anti-hero caught mid-mutation into a monster — has been replaced with Jeremy Strong’s practiced, performatively emotionless Zuckerberg.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026
His boyish looks notwithstanding, Kiernan is now one of the deans of New York television, approaching his 30th year on NY1.

— Dade Hayes, Deadline, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of boyish

Adjective

Flashbacks to the characters’ youth (with Arquette’s own daughter Harlow Jane playing her younger self) identify Diehl-Rothstein as an intelligent, ingenuous young woman who just needs a little help to make something of herself.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026
The Murphys went to the South of France off-season, both a terribly ingenuous choice and a shrewdly worldly one that everyone copied.

— Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of ingenuous

Browse Nearby Words

maidenhood

maidenly

maiden name

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

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Synonyms of maidenly

adjective

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