ladylike

la·dy·like | \ ˈlā-dē-ˌlīk

\

Definition of ladylike

1 : becoming or suitable to a lady

2 : resembling a lady in appearance or manners : well-bred

3a : feeling or showing too much concern about elegance or propriety ladylike embarrassment at not being the wife of a real doctor— Lewis Vogler

b : lacking in strength, force, or virility

Examples of ladylike in a Sentence

encouraging young women to be more ladylike

Recent Examples on the Web The lack of structure feels really contemporary and fresh, especially from a brand revered for its classic and ladylike accessories. — Julia Gall, Marie Claire, "Ferragamo's Viva Bow Bag," 1 Oct. 2020 Thrown together with an equally ladylike blouse, the effect is beautiful and super-confident. — Redbook, "TV Personality Tamron Hall Shows You How to Have Outfits For Days," 20 Sep. 2017 The ladylike handbag came in both cloth with the brand’s signature GG monogram and lambskin, and always included a signature piston strap closure. — Eliza Huber, refinery29.com, "Original Gucci Jackie Bags Are Less Than £300 Right Now — But Not For Long," 2 Mar. 2020 Benson took an entirely different tack in a Chanel zip-front romper from the Resort 2019 collection, strappy sandals, and a ladylike white purse. — Vogue, "Cara Delevingne and Ashley Benson Raise the Bar for Couple Style at the Tribeca Film Festival," 30 Apr. 2019 The newest take on ladylike dressing takes its inspo from the royals. — Marielle Bobo, Essence, "Shop The Closet: Channel Your Inner Queen With These Regal Buys," 22 Oct. 2019 Quacky is a calm and sociable drake (a male mallard), Snacky is a ladylike hen, and Tacky is a drake who’s always taking chances. — Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, "Readers and Writers: A pile of picture books by Minnesotans for holiday shopping," 17 Nov. 2019 In the dead center of this brilliantly colorful canvas is Catrina, the ladylike skeleton dressed in Victorian finery. — David Hammond, chicagotribune.com, "Celebrating Day of the Dead — and an eternal fascination with skeletons — in Mexico City," 17 Oct. 2019 In The Tramp, rocking a bubble ponytail adorned in ladylike ribbons. The 36-year-old, who will be the voice of Lady in the Disney remake, gave us major holiday hair inspiration. — Jennifer Ford, Essence, "Tessa Thompson's Ribbon Ponytail Is The Holiday Hair Inspiration You Need," 24 Oct. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ladylike.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

16 Oct 2020

Cite this Entry

“Ladylike.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ladylike. Accessed 23 Oct. 2020.

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More Definitions for ladylike

ladylike

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of ladylike

: polite and quiet in a way that has traditionally been considered suited to a woman

See the full definition for ladylike in the English Language Learners Dictionary

ladylike

adjective

la·dy·like | \ ˈlā-dē-ˌlīk

\

Kids Definition of ladylike

: suitable to a woman or girl who behaves in a polite way It was not ladylike to yell like that.— Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House on the Prairie