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damsel

noun

ˈdam-zəl How to pronounce damsel (audio)
Definition of damselnext
as in girl
a young unmarried woman knights are celebrated in fairy tales for rescuing damsels in distress

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 damsel After two seasons of Peter chasing around Rose Larkin, Isabel proves to be more than a distressed damsel, solidifying journalism’s crucial place in holding power accountable and aiding governmental investigations at large. — Jake Kring-Schreifels, Time, 19 Feb. 2026 The brave lifeguard risks life and limb to stab and punch the killer fish and rescue the damsel in distress, only to lose her to a man in a spacesuit walking along the sand who removes his helmet as the woman sprints to our space hero. — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 8 Feb. 2026 In the Terminator films, Hamilton played heroine Sarah Connor, a damsel in distress who becomes a hard-ass warrior. — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2025 Infiniti’s portrayal of Willa has drawn praise for subverting the trope of the damsel in distress, instead becoming her very own heroine in the tale. — Clayton Davis, Variety, 8 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for damsel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for damsel
  1. girl
  2. maiden
  3. maid
Noun
  • Why on earth the Magician would choose an American girl remains unclear.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
  • At least 25 states are now enforcing laws or policies banning transgender women and girls from competing in at least some women’s and girls' sports and three others have adopted laws but have enforcement blocked by the courts.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of girl
Noun
  • This second tale unfolds in an isolated cabin in the 1950s, as a lonely man on death’s door, Tom (Nick Nolte), a father in wait for his estranged daughter, finds an unconscious maiden, Alice (Caylee Cowan), outside in the snow.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Both were wins, a maiden-breaking score at seven furlongs (3/4 of a mile) at Churchill Downs on June 7, 2026 and a valiant win by a neck in the mile and a sixteenth Indiana Derby on July 11.
    — Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of maiden
Noun
  • The film, directed by May el-Toukhy, is set in Denmark in the aftermath of World War II, as a maid prepares to marry her former employer.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Jackson was particularly vocal in her criticism of the show’s shallow scripts, which featured plotlines about them going undercover as French maids, showgirls, lifeguards and, perhaps most infamously, prison inmates.
    — Michael Callahan, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of maid

Browse Nearby Words

dams
damsel
damsels
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Cite this Entry

“Damsel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/damsel. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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