grande dame

noun

ˈgrän-ˈdäm How to pronounce grande dame (audio)
Definition of grande damenext
as in dowager
a dignified usually elderly woman of some rank or authority the city's grandes dames still hold considerable sway in its cultural life

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 grande dame If the Marbella Club is the grande dame of this Andalusian resort town, Puente Romano Marbella is its younger, friskier sister on the Golden Mile. — Staff Author, Travel + Leisure, 2 July 2026 So far, so Agatha Christie, although that grande dame of whodunits stuck to human crime-solvers. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2026 As grande dame journalist Kara Swisher concludes in Kara Swisher Wants to Live Forever, which airs today on CNN, the number one key to longevity? — Jennifer Leigh Parker, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2026 With few exceptions, the grande dame French Creole restaurants in New Orleans have been led by men for decades. — Beth D'addono, Southern Living, 4 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for grande dame
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grande dame
  1. dowager
  2. matron
  3. mother
Noun
  • 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
  • The empress dowager’s legacy Empress Dowager Ling was largely unsuccessful in her bid for power.
    — Stephanie Balkwill, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2025
Definition of dowager
Noun
  • Cohran was a rarity in 1936 — a female police officer, known then as a police matron.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Since then, Hills has worked in various hospitals and wards, including spending 10 years as a ward sister and a matron, which are both senior roles for nurses.
    — Lexi Lane, PEOPLE, 27 June 2026
Definition of matron
Noun
  • His mother found the job for him, but his employer passed away.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Khalil Rashad Smith Pembroke Pines Police Department Authorities said Smith then drove to his mother's home, also in Pembroke Pines.
    — Abby Dodge, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of mother

Browse Nearby Words

granddaddy
grande dame
grandee
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Cite this Entry

“Grande dame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grande%20dame. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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