variants
also handmaid
as in housekeeper
a female domestic servant
the princess was intensely shy, and allowed only her handmaiden to enter her chambers
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of handmaiden
That is Esther and her handmaiden in his painting, sure as life.
—
Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 19 July 2025
That’s for the courts to say, not Trump’s handmaidens in cruelty.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 18 July 2025
There’s a New Spirituality in Pop Music June 7, 1987
As religion and crypto-religion were locked in mortal combat, the AIDS plague was sweeping across gay communities like a firestorm, to the complete indifference of the federal government and their Christian handmaidens.
—Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025
And what the project means by the term—turning the Department of Energy into a handmaiden of the coal, oil and natural gas industry—betrays not only the taxpayer but science itself.
—Megha Satyanarayana, Scientific American, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for handmaiden
Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 19 July 2025
That’s for the courts to say, not Trump’s handmaidens in cruelty.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 18 July 2025
There’s a New Spirituality in Pop Music June 7, 1987
As religion and crypto-religion were locked in mortal combat, the AIDS plague was sweeping across gay communities like a firestorm, to the complete indifference of the federal government and their Christian handmaidens.
—Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025
And what the project means by the term—turning the Department of Energy into a handmaiden of the coal, oil and natural gas industry—betrays not only the taxpayer but science itself.
—Megha Satyanarayana, Scientific American, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for handmaiden
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handmaiden
Noun
-
The fee was around the average for such arrangements, and far more than Elliott made in her occasional work as a housekeeper.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Even the housekeepers know what to look out for.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Soon after, Douvia’s sister, Margaret, also moved to the area and found work as a maid.—
Elijah Winkler,
Kansas City Star,
10 Feb. 2026
-
But like all good soapy murders, a body—the maid of honor’s—soon (literally) washes up, plunging the entire wedding party into delightful whodunit mayhem.—
Stephanie Bai,
The Atlantic,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Handmaiden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handmaiden. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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