spinster

noun

Definition of spinsternext
as in maiden

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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 spinster In such cards, suffragettes were usually depicted as ugly spinsters or abusive, lazy wives. — Melissa Chan, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2026 For four seasons, Bridgerton has portrayed Eloise as a spinster who, unlike her siblings, may never marry or find the love of her life. — Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 29 Jan. 2026 In this darkly comic folk tale, Olivia Colman also stars as a spinster fisherwoman fighting for her relationship with Skarsgård who stars as a literal tree. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 21 Jan. 2026 Vanya is a closeted gay man who shuns intimacy and Sonia is a neurotic spinster who feels unnoticed and unloved. — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for spinster
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spinster
  1. maiden
  2. bachelor
  3. maid
  4. bachelorette
Noun
  • Skinner’s side reached the quarter-finals in their 2025-26 maiden Champions League campaign but failed to qualify for Europe this term after the depth of their squad was exposed amid a busy season.
    — Megan Feringa, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • At the Lortel, her one-woman show plays out on a candlestick-heavy gothic set by Derek McLane that resembles a Barbie Dreamhouse modded for a Meat Loaf video, and Cohen enters in an haute-Ren-faire pink maiden’s dress by Kelsey Randall.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 28 July 2026
Definition of maiden
Noun
  • At the time, Bowling was just months away from graduating in December from Cal State East Bay with a bachelor’s degree; her long-term goal was to eventually become a lawyer.
    — Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Ballard earned his bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Kansas in 2003.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of bachelor
Noun
  • Based on Freida McFadden’s bestselling novel, the sequel picks up as Sweeney’s Millie, who works as a live-in maid for wealthy families, takes a new job — this time keeping house for a woman she’s never allowed to see.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026
  • If Lizzie is Cinderella, then actor Vicky Krieps’s Bridget Sullivan, the Bordens’ live-in maid, is her fairy godmother.
    — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of maid
Noun
  • Flanked by hydrangea bushes, this charming Cape Cod-style cottage is the perfect spot for a bachelorette weekend or girls’ trip.
    — Kelsey Mulvey, Vogue, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The story follows a group of friends embarking on a bachelorette trip that is plagued with all of their unspoken secrets and desires.
    — Madeleine Janz, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of bachelorette

Browse Nearby Words

spins
spinster
spinsterish
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Cite this Entry

“Spinster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spinster. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on spinster

Nglish: Translation of spinster for Spanish Speakers

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