maidenly

adjective

Definition of maidenlynext
as in virginal

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 maidenly Virgo Virgo is symbolized by the maidenly virgin, which often leads to the misconception that Virgos are prudish and innocent. — Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, 25 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maidenly
  1. virginal
  2. girlish
  3. youthful
  4. young
  5. ingenuous
Adjective
  • Would the virginal and so presumably menstruating Mary have been barred from worshipping her son?
    — S. C. Cornell, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Why keep up this fake pretense that each date is somehow brand-new, virginal?
    — Anelise Chen, The Atlantic, 25 Feb. 2025
Definition of virginal
Adjective
  • Pop stars like Charli XCX and Sabrina Carpenter conjured girlish elegance in pale gowns with feathers and ruffles.
    — The Styles Desk, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2025
  • With a gimlet eye and a surprisingly girlish laugh, Vera is cantankerous, impatient, intensely private, unapologetically disheveled and utterly glorious.
    — Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2025
Definition of girlish
Adjective
  • Audiences witness the characters’ lives unfold backward, from their fractured adult friendships to their youthful optimism.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2025
  • But behind the image of youthful confidence lies a question increasingly whispered by allies and adversaries alike: Can Bardella, who has no experience in government, really lead?
    — Thomas Adamson, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2025
Definition of youthful
Adjective
  • At 35, the Illinois native is the band’s youngest member.
    — George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Mar. 2025
  • Amaechi makes the case that a positive experience of sport can lead to much more than a healthy lifestyle and a sense of community, especially since the notion of emotional stoicism has paralyzed so many young men.
    — Don Riddell, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2025
Definition of young
Adjective
  • By the water’s edge, her insecure 25-year-old son, Konstantin (Kodi Smit-McPhee), is mounting a post-apocalyptic play in which his enduring love, ingenuous country girl Nina (Emma Corrin), can act.
    — Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 12 Feb. 2025
  • The actors effortlessly entwine the droll and the ingenuous, but as Ulman juggles more characters and more plot angles than in her first movie, there isn’t necessarily more payoff.
    — Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Definition of ingenuous

Browse Nearby Words

maidenhood
maidenly
maiden name
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Maidenly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maidenly. Accessed 12 Apr. 2025.

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