1
as in dowager
a dignified usually elderly woman of some rank or authority
as the grand dames of local society, they determined which charities received support
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in lady
a woman of high birth or social position
the lords and dames of the shire eagerly awaited the royal visit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dame
Hanoi’s grand dame has since survived bombing raids during the Vietnam War and hosted a who’s who of playwrights, royalty and world leaders.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Jan. 2026
Along with Elba, this year’s Honors include British comedian, writer, and actor Meera Syal and England women’s football coach Sarina Wiegman, who have been made honorary dames, and British writer Roy Clarke, who was also knighted.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2025
Dancing on Ice stars and 1984 Gold medalists Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean were made a dame and knight respectively for their charity work too.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 29 Dec. 2025
McKnight often plays the role of the dame, dressing up in drag.
—Robbie Griffiths, NPR, 27 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dame
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Jan. 2026
Along with Elba, this year’s Honors include British comedian, writer, and actor Meera Syal and England women’s football coach Sarina Wiegman, who have been made honorary dames, and British writer Roy Clarke, who was also knighted.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2025
Dancing on Ice stars and 1984 Gold medalists Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean were made a dame and knight respectively for their charity work too.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 29 Dec. 2025
McKnight often plays the role of the dame, dressing up in drag.
—Robbie Griffiths, NPR, 27 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dame
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dame
Noun
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The show’s underpinned by the differences in character and country of Lady Cora and her formidable mother-in-law, the dowager Countess Violet Crawley, played by the equally formidable and much missed Dame Maggie Smith.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
22 July 2025
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The empress dowager’s legacy Empress Dowager Ling was largely unsuccessful in her bid for power.—
Stephanie Balkwill,
The Conversation,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Mike Brown apologizes for his French, ladies and gentlemen — particularly the children watching the MSG Networks’ Knicks postgame broadcast at home — but OG Anunoby has only been named to an NBA All-Defensive Team once in his career.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
4 Apr. 2026
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Let’s also look after our helpers — the lady beetles, earthworms, birds, bees, syrphid flies and lacewings that busily help our gardens thrive.—
Rita Perwich,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The matron on duty, Annie Leewright, booked the woman into jail.—
Kevin Foster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
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The couple will spend the remainder of the early morning hours in a threesome with an elderly society matron, sucking on her earlobes.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Behind them, a Regency-era queen was undergoing WIG PREP, which is the work that’s done beneath the actual wig, while WIG STYLING is the assembling of the wig itself.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
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Pockets are a negligible detail for many, but certainly not for the beloved queen.—
Laura Scafati,
Vanity Fair,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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It had supposedly been made in the nineteen-forties, for an Italian countess or an English lady, then scrapped, and afterward either smuggled out of the workroom by a starry-eyed seamstress or, with the atelier head’s approval, given to one of the in-house models.—
Han Ong,
New Yorker,
15 Mar. 2026
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Lang went on to appear in most of Fuller’s films, including playing a rebellious German countess in his 1980 war epic The Big Red One, and several by their friend Wim Wenders.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dame. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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