plural harlots
1
old-fashioned + disparaging
: a woman who engages in sex acts and especially sexual intercourse in exchange for pay : a woman who is a sex worker
… the jewel-eyed harlots of his imagination …—
James Joyce
James Joyce… the early-eighteenth-century world, where wigs don't stay on straight, clubmen fall over themselves in drunken stupors, and harlots make their way …—Sanford Schwartz
Sanford Schwartz… whose murdered body was covered with roses by a harlot who had loved him …—Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde2
old-fashioned + disparaging
: a woman who has multiple sexual partners : a woman who is sexually promiscuous
Examples of harlot in a Sentence
the touristy port town little resembled the haven for thieves, cutthroats, and harlots it had once been
Recent Examples on the Web
This extends to cultural productions, where the reality of a Black person’s life often takes a back seat to myriad stereotypes: the Tragic Mulatto, the Uncle Tom, the minstrel fool, the oversexed harlot and the caring mammy, to name only a few.
—Ismail Muhammad, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2022
His daughter-in-law Tamar, who had been widowed from two of Yehuda’s sons and was blocked by Yehuda from marrying the third, dresses as a harlot and has relations with Yehuda.
—Rabbi Avi Weiss, sun-sentinel.com, 21 Dec. 2020
What also fascinated me is in many ways, the harlots had more agency than aristocratic women.
—Morena Duwe, Billboard, 26 Aug. 2019
The three harlots are played tiresomely, without weight or seriousness.
—Alastair MacAulay, New York Times, 15 June 2018
When Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky surfaced in 1998, conservatives attacked him as the symbol of a lost and immoral society, while liberals minimized his offenses and portrayed the young intern as a harlot.
—Laila Lalami, New York Times, 26 June 2018
Gamblers, occultists, harlots, castrato singers, and masked revelers populated the galleries alongside beautifully crafted wall sconces, ball gowns, and porcelain tureens.
—Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Mar. 2018
Carla Stewart captures the complexities of Shug Avery, the harlot with the heart of gold, in a robust performance, finding her own mix of tragedy and triumph, which motivates Celie to move toward her own freedom.
—Theodore P. Mahne, NOLA.com, 21 Feb. 2018
She was branded as a harlot; Viacom and its subsidiaries stopped playing her songs and videos.
—Jack Dickey, SI.com, 2 Feb. 2018
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Ismail Muhammad, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2022
His daughter-in-law Tamar, who had been widowed from two of Yehuda’s sons and was blocked by Yehuda from marrying the third, dresses as a harlot and has relations with Yehuda.
—Rabbi Avi Weiss, sun-sentinel.com, 21 Dec. 2020
What also fascinated me is in many ways, the harlots had more agency than aristocratic women.
—Morena Duwe, Billboard, 26 Aug. 2019
The three harlots are played tiresomely, without weight or seriousness.
—Alastair MacAulay, New York Times, 15 June 2018
When Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky surfaced in 1998, conservatives attacked him as the symbol of a lost and immoral society, while liberals minimized his offenses and portrayed the young intern as a harlot.
—Laila Lalami, New York Times, 26 June 2018
Gamblers, occultists, harlots, castrato singers, and masked revelers populated the galleries alongside beautifully crafted wall sconces, ball gowns, and porcelain tureens.
—Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Mar. 2018
Carla Stewart captures the complexities of Shug Avery, the harlot with the heart of gold, in a robust performance, finding her own mix of tragedy and triumph, which motivates Celie to move toward her own freedom.
—Theodore P. Mahne, NOLA.com, 21 Feb. 2018
She was branded as a harlot; Viacom and its subsidiaries stopped playing her songs and videos.
—Jack Dickey, SI.com, 2 Feb. 2018
Dictionary Entries Near harlot
Cite this Entry
“Harlot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harlot. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
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