ladylike

adjective

Definition of ladylikenext
1
as in gentlemanly

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words
2
as in feminine

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 ladylike In the 1940s, the Queen switched rings, and began wearing a ladylike large pearl, encircled with diamonds. — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 6 July 2026 While expecting her son Patrick Bouvier in 1963, Kennedy wore ladylike looks like double-breasted maternity coats and shift dresses. — Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 29 June 2026 The Cate The Cate bag is your go-to chic, ladylike top-handle bag from Khaite. — Kristen Bateman, Vogue, 21 May 2026 Whereas these very ladylike mules would still be quite cute with jeans and a T-shirt, an outfit in the same black and white theme takes things to another level. — Alison Syrett Cleary, InStyle, 14 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ladylike
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ladylike
  1. gentlemanly
  2. feminine
  3. chivalrous
  4. effeminate
  5. civilized
  6. womanly
  7. careful
  8. unmanly
Adjective
  • Likewise, the respite afforded by the twin hydration breaks has also reduced the need for improvised periods of gentlemanly repose, which in turn has lessened the demand for the chilly spray.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 17 July 2026
  • Sean Connery first portrayed the legendary spy as a confident and ruthless Cold War warrior, while Roger Moore added camp and a gentlemanly touch to the role.
    — Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 17 June 2026
Definition of gentlemanly
Adjective
  • First championed on the spring 2026 runways at Chloé, Victoria Beckham, and Miu Miu, the sweet, ultra-feminine frock has since taken over street style.
    — Laura Jackson, Vogue, 17 Aug. 2026
  • For instance, try balancing out the rugged look with feminine shorts like the LyreBird Silken Lace-Trim Shorts.
    — Tessa Petak, InStyle, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of feminine
Adjective
  • The sale isn’t technically on until July 18, but the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale preview has revealed, in its chivalrous early access, all that’s set to be on sale for the event this year.
    — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 14 July 2026
  • In this illustration for a gossip column printed sometime in 1831-2, the writer George Sand is on the protective, even chivalrous arm of a man, but she’s also dressed in men’s clothes.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 June 2026
Definition of chivalrous
Adjective
  • The term kothi applies to a broad category of people assigned male at birth who are effeminate to varying degrees and might engage in same-sex relationships, but do not live in separate communities.
    — Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
  • One of the earliest of American masculinity influencers was President Theodore Roosevelt, who touted his own transformation from a timid, effeminate man – local presses mocked him in his early career – to a rugged outdoorsman.
    — Miriam Eve Mora, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2026
Definition of effeminate
Adjective
  • Leave it in its normal mode and the SQ5 behaves like a civilized luxury crossover.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The car may be more civilized than its predecessors, but its mill is still expected to produce up to 900 hp and redline at 9,000 rpm.
    — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of civilized
Adjective
  • With its elegant, womanly heel curving into a narrow point and its sensible perforated top designed to resemble a man's oxford dress shoe, the oxford pump is the shoe of a woman who stands between two worlds.
    — Danielle Parker, CBS News, 9 June 2026
  • Marant launched her label and had her first show in 1994, quickly becoming a byword for a hip, womanly brand of boho chic.
    — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 26 May 2026
Definition of womanly
Adjective
  • Without careful planning to reduce the constellations’ brightness, the team found that, in the most extreme case, the satellites could outnumber visible stars by a factor of 100.
    — Arielle Frommer, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Maneuvering in tight spaces requires careful judgment of each individual case — and not just about which body part is least likely to cause offense when brought into close proximity to a fellow diner.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of careful
Adjective
  • The elastic insult is meant to belittle the target as inauthentic, attention-hungry, unserious, and unmanly.
    — Erik Forrest Jackson, The Atlantic, 22 Aug. 2026
  • For Marius’ friend, police chief Silviu (Alex Conovaru), such solicitude is weak and unmanly.
    — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of unmanly

Browse Nearby Words

lady-killers
ladylike
ladylove
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ladylike.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ladylike. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All