unladylike

adjective

un·​la·​dy·​like ˌən-ˈlā-dē-ˌlīk How to pronounce unladylike (audio)
: not becoming or suitable to a lady : not ladylike
unladylike behavior/language
She looked like she was going to laugh again, but she just gave an unladylike snort and wagged her head.Jerry Spinelli

Examples of unladylike in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The new girl’s unladylike bravado ensures that she will be asked to board with the Brown girl. Chris Bohjalian, Washington Post, 17 Aug. 2023 In fact, one of the choicest bites of the entire meal was an unladylike gnaw of the generous gristle on a bone followed by a spoonful of marrow-thickened soup, bobbing with cubes of cleansing daikon. Jiayang Fan, The New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2022 Only 23 women marched in the first suffrage parade; public speaking by women was considered repellent and unladylike. BostonGlobe.com, 29 July 2022 There was nothing unladylike to be found here, which was the point, but also the problem. New York Times, 12 Jan. 2022 Each month the show focuses on a new lady or unladylike theme. Holly Baumbach, chicagotribune.com, 9 Dec. 2019 There was also some grumbling about the team’s enthusiastic celebration of its 13-0 victory over Thailand last month, which some folks thought was unseemly (code for unladylike?) given the lopsided score. San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2019 Their schedule was an unladylike grind of 115 games from May to September. Andrea Modica, Smithsonian, 23 May 2018 Peeling off layers in front of others is viewed as unladylike (yes, really), which is why The Duchess of Cambridge (and now, Markle) can often be seen wearing a coat or a coat-dress that’s too chic to check. Alice Bell, Vogue, 19 May 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unladylike.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1766, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unladylike was in 1766

Dictionary Entries Near unladylike

Cite this Entry

“Unladylike.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unladylike. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

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