1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

girlfriend

noun

ˈgər(-ə)l-ˌfrend How to pronounce girlfriend (audio)
Definition of girlfriendnext
as in woman
a female romantic companion he proposed to his girlfriend of seven years

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 girlfriend George had a gold molar, a biology degree from the University of Nairobi, and—according to himself—a girlfriend in every town from Eldoret to Mombasa. — Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026 One of my colleagues saw the ending as a kind of karmic consequence for Bryan not initially supporting his pregnant girlfriend. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026 Notably, Irvin mentioned recent paparazzi sightings of the franchise quarterback acting as his girlfriend’s personal chauffeur. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 Sep. 2026 The visit is part of Aileen’s anniversary trip with her girlfriend, Shelby. — Kelly Allen, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for girlfriend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for girlfriend
  1. woman
  2. girl
  3. lady
  4. lover
Noun
  • The survey was conducted online in April among 1,200 men and women nationwide aged 15 to 69.
    — Masayuki Oi Japan News, Arkansas Online, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Another day, another instance of Vicki saying something insane about a woman whose only crime was joining her show.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of woman
Noun
  • Unusually for a girl of her time, Schachtel’s mother had learned Hebrew and Talmud.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The horrors for women and girls are prevalent everywhere, Theron said, but her native South Africa is particularly devastated by it.
    — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of girl
Noun
  • Basner arrived there from a five-year stint selling ladies knitted sweaters.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 27 Sep. 2026
  • If warm and dry conditions persist into fall, cool-season pests like rodents, Asian lady beetles, and boxelder bugs may show up later than normal.
    — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of lady
Noun
  • This year, there’s something for nearly every interest, from cheese lovers and bookworms to crafty adults and puzzle enthusiasts.
    — Casey DelBasso, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026
  • This is our introduction to He and She, two clownish, pugilistic lovers who are locked in a war of words, even as a literal war rages outside.
    — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of lover

Browse Nearby Words

girl Fridays
girlfriend
girlfriends
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Girlfriend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/girlfriend. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of argot

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All