as in stuffed shirt
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Recent Examples of old maid
My dad was divorced, and my mom was an old maid by Belarusian standards.
—
Diana Ruzova, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2025
In contrast to the depictions of suffragists as dowdy old maids, the woman portrayed in this postcard is conventionally attractive and fashionably dressed.
—Natalie Kinkade, JSTOR Daily, 25 Sep. 2024
As fans have known since Bridgerton’s first season finale, Whistledown is none other than Penelope Featherington—the clever wallflower (played with verve and empathy by Nicola Coughlan) who has languished long enough without nuptial prospects to be considered an old maid.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 16 May 2024
Who knew that enduring such abuse could turn this dowdy old maid into an unlikely local celebrity?
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 6 Jan. 2024
And who didn’t end up an old maid.
—Sarah Larson, The New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2022
This was true especially for women who did not fit into typical gendered roles like the virtuous bride, the good mother or the helpful old maid.
—Joel Christensen, The Conversation, 15 Nov. 2022
An old maid at six and twenty, Kate arrives in London with her mother, Lady Mary Sharma (Shelley Conn), and younger half-sister Edwina (Charithra Chandran).
—Katie Rife, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2022
Forte tries to soothe McKinnon with a tender kiss, only to peel away and kiss their 18-year-old maid at the last second.
—Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2022
Diana Ruzova, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2025
In contrast to the depictions of suffragists as dowdy old maids, the woman portrayed in this postcard is conventionally attractive and fashionably dressed.
—Natalie Kinkade, JSTOR Daily, 25 Sep. 2024
As fans have known since Bridgerton’s first season finale, Whistledown is none other than Penelope Featherington—the clever wallflower (played with verve and empathy by Nicola Coughlan) who has languished long enough without nuptial prospects to be considered an old maid.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 16 May 2024
Who knew that enduring such abuse could turn this dowdy old maid into an unlikely local celebrity?
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 6 Jan. 2024
And who didn’t end up an old maid.
—Sarah Larson, The New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2022
This was true especially for women who did not fit into typical gendered roles like the virtuous bride, the good mother or the helpful old maid.
—Joel Christensen, The Conversation, 15 Nov. 2022
An old maid at six and twenty, Kate arrives in London with her mother, Lady Mary Sharma (Shelley Conn), and younger half-sister Edwina (Charithra Chandran).
—Katie Rife, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2022
Forte tries to soothe McKinnon with a tender kiss, only to peel away and kiss their 18-year-old maid at the last second.
—Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for old maid
stuffed shirt
Noun
-
With his piano-pounding performances, wild vocals, bouffant hair and makeup, Little Richard burst onto the musical scene in the 1950s and shook up the stuffed shirts with a string of his hit songs that got both black and white people dancing.—
NBC News,
NBC News,
9 May 2020
-
Karen Knorr’s photos of the private members’ clubs of London in the early 1980s are full of stuffed shirts wearing gleaming brogues.—
The Economist,
The Economist,
25 Feb. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Old maid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/old%20maid. Accessed 26 Jul. 2025.
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