as in maids
a young upper-class woman who has begun going to special parties where she will meet and be seen by other people from the upper class
The invitation-only event is a prized ticket for the city's debutantes.
Related Words
Relevance
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 debutantes
The building was popular with debutantes.
—
Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 23 Feb. 2026
Like many other balls, the Opera Ball opens with a waltz performed by 160 bright-eyed and bushy-tailed young couples, who are referred to as debutantes.
—Valeriya Safronova, Vanity Fair, 19 Feb. 2026
Each year, noteworthy families flock to the famed Hotel Shangri-La in Paris for a formal celebration of the debutantes, who traditionally work with designers to dream up bespoke haute couture gowns.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025
Even at some of the dressiest Mardi Gras balls in the city, you’re guaranteed to find debutantes and knights alike gathered around a table full of Foosackly’s.
—Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 23 Nov. 2025
The Mitford sisters, as debutantes, were expected to quietly marry into their class and fade into the woodwork.
—Mimi Pond, People.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 23 Feb. 2026
Like many other balls, the Opera Ball opens with a waltz performed by 160 bright-eyed and bushy-tailed young couples, who are referred to as debutantes.
—Valeriya Safronova, Vanity Fair, 19 Feb. 2026
Each year, noteworthy families flock to the famed Hotel Shangri-La in Paris for a formal celebration of the debutantes, who traditionally work with designers to dream up bespoke haute couture gowns.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025
Even at some of the dressiest Mardi Gras balls in the city, you’re guaranteed to find debutantes and knights alike gathered around a table full of Foosackly’s.
—Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 23 Nov. 2025
The Mitford sisters, as debutantes, were expected to quietly marry into their class and fade into the woodwork.
—Mimi Pond, People.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debutantes
Noun
-
The ladies Carnarvon, their daughters, and their guests—not to mention the governesses, maids, and cooks?—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Doris and Ann, the family’s longtime upstairs-downstairs maids, were there too.—
Jennifer Cannon,
Vanity Fair,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Anne loans it to the other (slender) girls in exchange for bars of soap or clothes coupons.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 May 2026
-
My beautiful girls, my darlings, who are suddenly women.—
Jack Irvin,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
The hilltop structures were originally built as Catholic shrines dedicated to the virgins they're named after, but were turned into military fortresses in the early 1800s—they have since been rehabilitated for tourism.—
Christin Parcerisa Vigueras,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Apr. 2026
-
But fans of the myth of Erzsébet Báthory, who was accused circa the early 17th century of killing young virgins to bathe in their blood for her own beautification, might be let down by what’s ultimately a silly, madcap Vienna adventure.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Seen on the likes of Pamela Anderson, Ariana Grande, and most recently, Vera Wang, the micro bang was first popularized in the 1950s by film ingenues like Audrey Hepburn.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
This British production from Hammer Films and director Roy Ward Baker showcases moon maidens, old-fashioned lunar shootouts, buggy chases, and an ex-astronaut turned mercenary salvager trying to snag a 6000-pound sapphire asteroid from orbit for a billionaire industrialist.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The 2026 Miss Smiling Irish Eyes is Molly McKenna, and the court maidens Kennedy Kuntz and Sidney Hoover.—
Patrick Damp,
CBS News,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debutantes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debutantes. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
