mistress

noun

ˈmi-strəs How to pronounce mistress (audio)
Definition of mistressnext
as in concubine
a female other than his wife with whom a married man has a continuing sexual relationship he lavished gifts upon his mistress but completely ignored his wife

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 mistress Joan Didion, the mistress of concision and a Hemingway admirer, began her career writing captions and sidebars to fit around pictures in women’s magazines. — Louis Menand, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026 Related Stories The centerpiece confrontation behind The Betrayers comes between Baruch Kotler, the politician played by Michael Aronov, who betrays his wife and daughter when his affair with his mistress, Leora, played by Kaelen Ohm, is exposed. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026 Fortune was a fickle mistress for the Buffs, who would have something good followed almost immediately by the unfortunate. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 4 Sep. 2026 It has been said that the Moon is a harsh mistress, and nowhere is this more apparent than at the lunar south pole. — Space.com Staff, Space.com, 22 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mistress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistress
  1. concubine
  2. lover
Noun
  • The person who started that rumor is the present-day, extremely status-conscious Queen Dowager (Our Unwritten Seoul’s Jang Young-nam), who is furious at the idea her husband would make a lowly maid a concubine.
    — Kayti Burt, Time, 17 July 2026
  • In Judges 19 a Levite and his concubine stop in their travels in Gibeah in the land of the tribe of Benjamin.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 July 2026
Definition of concubine
Noun
  • The supporting cast is well stocked with character actors who bring humor and pathos to this gaggle of spouses, friends, lovers and bootleggers.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Orr’s trail repairs come at a time when outdoors lovers are feeling particularly protective of public lands.
    — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of lover

Browse Nearby Words

mistreats
mistress
mistresses
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Cite this Entry

“Mistress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistress. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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