damsel

noun

dam·​sel ˈdam-zəl 

variants or less commonly damosel or damozel

ˈda-mə-ˌzel 

: a young woman:

a

archaic : a young unmarried woman of noble birth

b

: girl

Synonyms

• girl
• maiden
• maid

Examples of damsel in a Sentence

knights are celebrated in fairy tales for rescuing damsels in distress

Recent Examples on the Web

Dark Towers, crooked wizard towers, towers with damsels in distress. —Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025

Nintendo’s original damsel in distress first appeared in the 1981 game, kidnapped by DK for Mario (then called Jumpman) to rescue. —Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 10 July 2025

Miley Cyrus, Mayor Pauline Miley’s transition from enfant terrible to one of the industry’s most creative staples suggests a kind of mid-career stability present in damsel in distress turned politician Pauline. Katy Perry, Daisy Obviously!!! —Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 6 June 2025

A little over a decade ago, actresses in these kind of movies were handcuffed to the role of the damsel in distress. —Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English damesel, from Anglo-French dameisele, from Vulgar Latin *domnicella young noblewoman, diminutive of Latin domina lady

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

damsel

noun

dam·​sel ˈdam-zəl 

variants also damosel or damozel

ˈdam-ə-ˌzel

: girl sense 1b, maiden

Etymology

Middle English damesel "damsel," from early French dameisele (same meaning), from Latin domina "lady, mistress" — related to dame