grande dame

noun

ˈgrän-ˈdäm 

plural grandes dames ˈgrän-ˈdäm(z)  also grande dames ˈgrän-ˈdäm(z) 

1

: a usually older woman of great prestige or ability

2

: granddaddy sense 2

Synonyms of grande dame

• dowager
• matron
• mother

Examples of grande dame in a Sentence

the city's grandes dames still hold considerable sway in its cultural life

Recent Examples on the Web

Glittering grande dames and jewel box boutique hotels give the aesthetically minded jet-setter plenty to think about; but for your own personal palazzo, why not book an Airbnb in Venice? —Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 9 Feb. 2026

Some 127 years after its opening, the grande dame of St Moritz continues to draw glamorous guests to its cavernous halls, forever teetering gracefully between Alpine rustic and positively regal. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Feb. 2026

Then in her mid-fifties, Bainbridge was already well on her way to the status of a slightly rackety grande dame, having made her name in the Seventies with a blizzard of short, elliptical novels, comic in execution but tinged with an underlying darkness. —Christopher Tayler, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026

Athena, meanwhile, is a grande dame with an inability to shake anything off. —Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 17 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, great lady

First Known Use

1775, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for grande dame

• aspartame
• counterclaim
• overcame
• underframe
• username
• acclaim
• aflame
• airframe
• ballgame
• became
• declaim
• defame