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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
  • Unusually for a girl of her time, Schachtel’s mother had learned Hebrew and Talmud.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The horrors for women and girls are prevalent everywhere, Theron said, but her native South Africa is particularly devastated by it.
    — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 21 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
  • Lizzie and Bridget having a romantic relationship Monster depicts Lizzie and Bridget as forming a romantic relationship, which starts when Bridget becomes a maid for her family.
    — Kelly Allen, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2026
  • At the time of their deaths, the couple lived with their adult daughters — 41-year-old Emma and 32-year-old Lizzie — and their maid, Bridget Sullivan, in a relatively modest home.
    — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 18 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 27 Sep. 2026.

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