Definition of damenext
1
as in dowager
a dignified usually elderly woman of some rank or authority as the grand dames of local society, they determined which charities received support

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2

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 dame She was recognized for her services to the performing arts by Queen Elizabeth, who made Andrews a dame in 2000. Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 8 July 2026 In 2014 she was made a dame, the female equivalent of a knight, for services to the arts and to charity. Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026 She was named a dame, the female equivalent of a knighthood, for services to literature, a title that Mirren herself was awarded in 2003. ABC News, 12 June 2026 Elsewhere from the entertainment world, Helen Mirren — already a dame, one of the highest ranks — was made a Companion of Honour, of which there are only 65 at any one time. Alex Ritman, Variety, 12 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for dame
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dame
Noun
  • The show’s underpinned by the differences in character and country of Lady Cora and her formidable mother-in-law, the dowager Countess Violet Crawley, played by the equally formidable and much missed Dame Maggie Smith.
    Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 22 July 2025
  • The empress dowager’s legacy Empress Dowager Ling was largely unsuccessful in her bid for power.
    Stephanie Balkwill, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The ladies then go around and talk about their most iconic moment on the show.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
  • For most guys, turning up poolside in the same trunks as someone else isn’t that big of a deal—certainly not a faux pas on the same level as, say, the lady in your life’s arriving on the red carpet in the same gown as another woman.
    Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 9 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Since then, Hills has worked in various hospitals and wards, including spending 10 years as a ward sister and a matron, which are both senior roles for nurses.
    Lexi Lane, PEOPLE, 27 June 2026
  • How did a young Upper East Side matron with a small daughter and a dormant career as an art historian get here?
    Lisa Henricksson, Air Mail, 27 June 2026
Noun
  • As Amziah demonstrates during this lesson, the queen is the center of the universe, and without her, the colony would collapse.
    Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Its final act closes the circle, bringing the action back to Sicilia and to the grieving king, whom Paulina presents with a statue of his lost queen.
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • De Lesseps turned a fall from countess to tabloid fixture into a thriving cabaret career.
    Maer Roshan, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 2026
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Dame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dame. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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