as in girl
a young unmarried woman
knights are celebrated in fairy tales for rescuing damsels in distress
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Recent Examples of damsel
Dark Towers, crooked wizard towers, towers with damsels in distress.
—
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Nintendo’s original damsel in distress first appeared in the 1981 game, kidnapped by DK for Mario (then called Jumpman) to rescue.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 10 July 2025
Miley Cyrus, Mayor Pauline Miley’s transition from enfant terrible to one of the industry’s most creative staples suggests a kind of mid-career stability present in damsel in distress turned politician Pauline.
Katy Perry, Daisy
Obviously!!!
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 6 June 2025
A little over a decade ago, actresses in these kind of movies were handcuffed to the role of the damsel in distress.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for damsel
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Nintendo’s original damsel in distress first appeared in the 1981 game, kidnapped by DK for Mario (then called Jumpman) to rescue.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 10 July 2025
Miley Cyrus, Mayor Pauline Miley’s transition from enfant terrible to one of the industry’s most creative staples suggests a kind of mid-career stability present in damsel in distress turned politician Pauline.
Katy Perry, Daisy
Obviously!!!
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 6 June 2025
A little over a decade ago, actresses in these kind of movies were handcuffed to the role of the damsel in distress.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for damsel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for damsel
Noun
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At age 15, she was shot in the face by the Taliban for advocating for girls' education in her home country of Pakistan.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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At the absolute minimum, Prince Andrew and others in Epstein’s orbit showed a pathological incuriosity about the young girls who surrounded him—and that is stretching good faith to its very limit.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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As well, Lainey Wilson makes her maiden headlining appearance at Bridgestone Arena a day later.—
Marcus K. Dowling,
Nashville Tennessean,
27 Sep. 2025
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For Burna Boy, his maiden top 10 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs comes via his second appearance.—
Trevor Anderson,
Billboard,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The Independence Inn—where Lorelai worked as a maid during the first three seasons—had a formal vibe with a dark color palette and mahogany wood throughout the lobby area (including that fireplace).—
Mara Reinstein,
Architectural Digest,
30 Oct. 2025
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Directed by Kim Ki-young, the film is a cautionary tale about the dangers of infidelity, following a couple that hires a maid to help around the house while the wife is pregnant, only to have the young woman (Lee Eun-shim) destroy the family from the inside out.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Damsel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/damsel. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
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