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

Ken Club, the grande dame of the city’s fitness scene, opened in 1985 as one of Paris’ original workout spaces, when sports were still a bit of a novelty in France. — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026

The coast is peppered with grande dame hotels housed in former convents, centuries-old palaces, and pastel villas where everyone from Maria Callas and Coco Chanel to Liza Minnelli and Elizabeth Taylor have holed up. — Lane Nieset, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Sep. 2026

Witchy and worldly, with a tendency to name-drop the luminaries she’s encountered on her travels, the grande dame is Sybylla’s first example of a woman who chose her own way and has been rewarded for it. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2026

Poor Helen Hayes, grande dame of the stage, lived long enough to see her namesake theater meet the wrecking ball. — Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 3 Sep. 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