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
as in lady
a woman of high birth or social position
the lords and dames of the shire eagerly awaited the royal visit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dame
In 1997, Laine became the first British jazz artist to be made a dame, the female equivalent of a knight.
—
George Varga, Mercury News, 28 July 2025
Bebe Buell turns 72 today, and the rock & roll grand dame has never been more vital.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 14 July 2025
Many visitors to Paris check into the grand dames clustered around the Golden Triangle, an iconic luxury nabe known for haute couture shopping and five-star hotels.
—Siobhan Reid, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2025
In honor of its 67th year, the grand dame, which sits on the Giudecca Island with views over the Venetian lagoon, has much to report.
—Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for dame
George Varga, Mercury News, 28 July 2025
Bebe Buell turns 72 today, and the rock & roll grand dame has never been more vital.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 14 July 2025
Many visitors to Paris check into the grand dames clustered around the Golden Triangle, an iconic luxury nabe known for haute couture shopping and five-star hotels.
—Siobhan Reid, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2025
In honor of its 67th year, the grand dame, which sits on the Giudecca Island with views over the Venetian lagoon, has much to report.
—Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for dame
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dame
Noun
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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
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The empress dowager’s legacy Empress Dowager Ling was largely unsuccessful in her bid for power.—
Stephanie Balkwill,
The Conversation,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Wicks’ modest-but-devoted flock includes devout church lady Martha Delacroix (Close), circumspect groundskeeper Samson Holt (Church), tightly-wound lawyer Vera Draven, Esq.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Sep. 2025
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Someone else Johansson would love to see on SNL this season is her Eleanor the Great leading lady.—
Jillian Sederholm,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Madam Poppy Pomfrey played a vital role in the lives of Hogwarts students as a matron, who nursed the sick and injured.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
1 Sep. 2025
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The two women couldn’t be more different, but when a wealthy matron is found dead of an apparent suicide on the rocky shore of Vermont’s Lake Champlain, their fraught relationship gradually turns into a productive collaboration, despite Olivia’s missteps.—
Liza Tully,
People.com,
6 July 2025
Noun
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Trending Video For consistency, all of the prices reflect queen sizes.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
10 Sep. 2025
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The show created by and starring Florence Longpré, a queen of Canadian dramedy, is playing on Bell’s streamer Crave in Canada, and Canal+ in France.—
Annika Pham,
Variety,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Neither Oh’s dizzy countess nor Nyong’o’s charming, feckless Viola ever takes the reins of this production, but that would be hard to do.—
Helen Shaw,
New Yorker,
22 Aug. 2025
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In a similar vein (pun intended), the 16th-century Hungarian countess Elizabeth Báthory was rumored to have bathed in the blood of young girls to preserve her youth.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
10 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dame. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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