dame

noun

ˈdām 

1

: a woman of rank, station, or authority: such as

a

archaic : the mistress of a household

b

: the wife or daughter of a lord

c

: a female member of an order of knighthood

—used as a title prefixed to the given name

2

a

informal : an elderly woman : matron

b

US slang, old-fashioned : woman

a classy dame

Synonyms

• dowager
• grande dame
• matriarch
• matron

Examples of dame in a Sentence

She was made a dame the year before she died.

as the grand dames of local society, they determined which charities received support

Recent Examples on the Web

So for a Louisiana native like the interior designer Olivia Erwin, working in tandem with the architecture firm Lee Ledbetter & Associates to restore one of these grand dames was a homecoming honor. —Laura May Todd, Architectural Digest, 2 May 2025

Singapore’s Grand Dame Hotels While Raffles Singapore might be Singapore’s oldest and most famous hotel, its not the only grand dame in town and Shangri-La Singapore is another icon of the City State, as well as the go-to choice for visiting dignitaries. —Nicole Trilivas, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025

Check into the Hotel Due Torri, the city’s most historic grand dame with an impressive collection of antiques. —Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 22 Apr. 2025

Where to stay: Lyon’s grand dame is the InterContinental Lyon – Hotel Dieu. —Andrew Richdale, AFAR Media, 17 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin domina, feminine of dominus master; akin to Latin domus house — more at dome

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing dame

• dame school
• dame's rocket
• grande dame

Rhymes for dame

• aim
• blame
• brame
• came
• claim
• fame
• flame
• frame
• game
• haim
• lame
• maim

Kids Definition

dame

noun

ˈdām 

: a woman of rank, station, or authority: as

a

archaic : the mistress of a household

b

: the wife or daughter of a lord

c

: a female member of an order of knighthood

—used as a title before a given name

Etymology

Middle English dame "a woman of rank or authority, lady," from early French dame (same meaning), from Latin domina "mistress, lady," feminine form of dominus "master, owner" — related to damsel, dominate, don entry 2, madam, madonna, prima donna