maidenly

Definition of maidenlynext

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 maidenly Virgo Virgo is symbolized by the maidenly virgin, which often leads to the misconception that Virgos are prudish and innocent. Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, 25 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maidenly
Adjective
  • In the first season of Sam Levinson’s salacious teen drama, Euphoria, every episode opened with a deep dive into one of the characters’ pasts, which complicated their archetypes: the bro-y jock was troubled by his sexuality; the most virginal girl in her friend group was a camgirl.
    Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Apr. 2026
  • Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel is a slow read with an out-of-time atmosphere, really one of the most virginal and repressed romance stories of all time.
    Anna Gaca, Pitchfork, 20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Miho Sakoda’s Butterfly (Cio-Cio-San) managed a deft balance of girlish naiveté, true love and bitter betrayal with a soprano of apparently limitless expressivity.
    Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 11 Apr. 2026
  • In the band’s heyday, Anthony Kiedis, with his bare torso and long girlish copper-blond hair, looked like a ’70s teen idol who’d become a Warhol hustler – a street-flesh god like Joe Dallesandro, except that where Dallesandro was in a daze, Kiedis was a live wire.
    Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Some youngsters, like McCall Elementary School fifth grader Camila Garcia, were both youthful celebrants and feting other children at the same time.
    Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
  • As the Panthers prepare to defend their NFC South crown, the veterans on the roster might need to prepare for some youthful competition.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • His mom likes another young lady for her son, not my daughter.
    R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
  • This particular adaptation bookends the story with the character Alba (played in young adulthood by Rocío Hernández), the granddaughter of the clairvoyant matriarch Clara del Valle (played in older age by Dolores Fonzi) and the conservative, volatile patriarch Esteban Trueba (Alfonso Herrera).
    Laura Zornosa, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Nothing except getting into fierce arguments with fellow-Jews, some would say, which Olitzky—who has a round, boyish face and a conciliatory manner—portrayed as a privilege rather than a burden.
    Eyal Press, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
  • While both these trends lead away from feminine curves, there is not the slightest boyish feeling in the new mode… Another thing noticeable about the new styles is the refreshing lack of period revivals.
    Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Modern Love used a photo of David Bowie in a long dress as his profile picture, and so the ingenuous, myopic Floyd expects a woman.
    Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Unbeknownst to her parents, the sweetly ingenuous Katie has made friends with the generously candy-dispensing family next door, and is abducted one afternoon in the midst of a sweeping windstorm — a standout setpiece, awash in roiled dust and rising panic.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Maidenly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maidenly. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster