old maid

Definition of old maidnext

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 old maid March 2026 Prose's debut novel is centered around Molly Gray, a 25-year-old maid at the Regency Grand Hotel, a five-star boutique hotel, who has an obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette. Angeline Jane Bernabe, ABC News, 3 Mar. 2026 These ajummas, these old maids, with their curly hair, were actually doing this! Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 17 Feb. 2026 Many of Another Period’s best gags come out of its suffragette story line, led by old maid and eldest Bellacourt sister Hortense and her Newport Association of Gal Spinsters, or NAGS. Elle Carroll, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2025 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 Who knew that enduring such abuse could turn this dowdy old maid into an unlikely local celebrity? Peter Debruge, Variety, 6 Jan. 2024 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Old maid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/old%20maid. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on old maid

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