lady

noun

ˈlā-dē How to pronounce lady (audio)
Definition of ladynext
1
as in woman
an adult female human being "ladies and gentlemen, please observe closely," said the magician

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in wife
a female partner in a marriage in public the husband was frequently seen holding hands with his lady

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in countess
a woman of high birth or social position the ladies of the royal court were all dressed extravagantly

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in girlfriend
a female romantic companion when do we get to meet your new lady?

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 lady Vance’s wife, second lady Usha Vance, gave birth to their fourth child on Sunday. — Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 24 July 2026 Although these ladies have access to the best of the best, even that doesn’t always protect patients from the worst-case scenario. — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 20 July 2026 Holzinger and her technicians had arrived in Venice only three weeks before; since then, the cleaning ladies had taken on a much bigger role than planned. — Lauren Oyler, New Yorker, 20 July 2026 Alec is the fourth child of the vice president and second lady, who married in 2014. — Adisa Hargett-Robinson, The Washington Examiner, 19 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for lady
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lady
  1. woman
  2. wife
  3. countess
  4. girlfriend
  5. female
  6. queen
  7. girl
  8. duchess
Noun
  • The surge in gray divorces is also often driven by women – who have long faced restrictive gender norms in conservative Asian societies, as well as legal, financial, and social barriers to seeking divorce.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 26 July 2026
  • In interviews, women and the advocates who work with them cited fear of retaliation, social stigma and a widespread belief that authorities will not act.
    — Raul Roman, NPR, 25 July 2026
Definition of woman
Noun
  • The post mocked a Dooley operative whose wife attempted suicide after accusing former NBC host Matt Lauer of rape.
    — Tia Mitchell, AJC.com, 27 July 2026
  • So now poor Hugh must decide between his oaths to Rhaenyra and his wife, who stubbornly (and rather stupidly) remains.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of wife
Noun
  • Where foreign adventurers once brought conflict to Costa Rica’s coast, a European countess left behind a sanctuary of profound peace.
    — Donna Hardie-Scott, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • Jarman and Karen Spencer were previously embroiled in legal proceedings after the archeologist sued the countess in 2024, People and The Times reported.
    — Melina Khan, USA Today, 19 May 2026
Definition of countess
Noun
  • The prospect of attending a raucous three-day party on South Beach comes as disappointing news to Joe’s girlfriend Jennifer (Teyana Taylor), who’s waiting for her own proposal.
    — Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 24 July 2026
  • Then, Yancy comes home to his girlfriend and baby mama to find Kai on the porch standing guard.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 23 July 2026
Definition of girlfriend
Noun
  • Yaks breed notoriously slowly, with females birthing just four or five offspring in their lifetime – a major challenge for their long-term survival.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
  • The filmmakers have conceived a world that is both funny and extreme, navigating themes of bodily autonomy for both males and females through the playful and the monstrous.
    — William Earl, Variety, 25 July 2026
Definition of female
Noun
  • The rare artifacts taken from the famed museum include jewelry owned by Napoleon III’s wife Empress Eugénie and a royal sapphire tiara, necklace, and matching earring owned by Queen Marie-Amélie, the last queen of France.
    — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 22 July 2026
  • Necklaces and jewelry owned by other French queens, including Empress Marie Louise, Marie-Amélie, and Hortense Bonaparte, were also taken.
    — Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of queen
Noun
  • In 2013, four researchers from Terre des Hommes Netherlands posed as pre-pubescent Filipino girls on 19 different online chat forums.
    — Charlie Campbell, Time, 20 July 2026
  • These women and girls did not choose their circumstances, and the law should not compound their trauma.
    — Eric "Doc" Stelnicki, Sun Sentinel, 20 July 2026
Definition of girl
Noun
  • One of the judges showed Meghan around the kitchen, including the pantry, where the duchess spotted edible flowers.
    — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 22 July 2026
  • Griffiths mentioned reports that the duchess really wanted to visit the Althorp estate near Birmingham, the ancestral home of the late Princess Diana where she also is buried.
    — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 9 July 2026
Definition of duchess

Phrases Containing lady

Browse Nearby Words

lads
lady
lady-in-waiting
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lady.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lady. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on lady

Nglish: Translation of lady for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lady

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 parochial

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

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

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

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
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All