How to Use matronly in a Sentence

matronly

adjective
  • She wore a matronly blue dress.
  • She feared she was becoming a matronly old woman.
  • The wavy coif and puffy jowls of the father disguised as a matronly housekeeper.
    Madalyn Amato, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2022
  • That Jason Wu dress that’s somewhat matronly and straight out of Mad Men?
    Donna Freydkin, Allure, 24 July 2017
  • Rosy and warm, Isabelle Pichler is the matronly Mrs. Potts.
    Rebecca Bogdanovic, Orange County Register, 3 May 2017
  • The first Cindy image, on a T-shirt dress, had a reverse of matronly lipsticked mouths appliquéd on pale blue silk.
    Cathy Horyn, The Cut, 30 Sep. 2017
  • Calvin Klein’s body boy short reveals nothing and looks sporty, not matronly.
    Marina Liao, Marie Claire, 12 June 2018
  • Not knowing exactly what his voice is yet, Halston tries to put the new world of mod black-and-white prints and patterns on heavy, matronly fabric.
    Whitney Friedlander, Vulture, 14 May 2021
  • This time around, the now married and newly pregnant Pippa was in demure mint green, a matronly bun under her small hat.
    Leanne Italie, BostonGlobe.com, 19 May 2018
  • The fashion available to moms-to-be is few and far between, often either made with bad, stretchy Lycra or cut in the silhouette of a matronly muumuu.
    Brooke Bobb, Vogue, 11 Jan. 2019
  • But the difference between Abbey and her father, her mother, cousin Nora and the matronly neighbor Mrs. Beach is of degree rather than kind.
    New York Times, 30 Aug. 2021
  • Beside reserving a matronly bit part for Andie MacDowell (who co-starred in the 1994 movie), there is no compelling reason to sully the movie’s good name this way.
    Hank Stuever, Washington Post, 29 July 2019
  • Two Inuit women, one young and tall, one round and matronly, sang from deep inside their lungs, making a percussive, panting sound, each jumping in as the other gathered her breath.
    Stephen Rodrick, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Mar. 2018
  • Princess Diana, in a conservative blue skirt suit and neck-tie blouse, was painted as matronly and traditional.
    Leah Bourne, Glamour, 11 Jan. 2018
  • Now they are mesmerized by the short, matronly woman in a teal-blue raw-silk jacket, wearing her signature black trousers and sensible walking shoes.
    Kati Marton, Vogue, 18 July 2017
  • Hawn delivers a matronly, toned-down version of her ditzy shtick, and Schumer, who has yet to find the right footing for her subversive talents in the movies, dutifully enacts her own potty-mouthed persona.
    Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 May 2017
  • Behind the counter was a matronly woman ladling generous portions of steaming rajma over mounds of fragrant basmati rice into large white ceramic bowls.
    Washington Post, 4 Jan. 2022
  • Once there, Tânia greets them with matronly authority, taking charge as innkeeper, accountant, and fixer.
    John Hopewell, Variety, 23 Aug. 2022
  • Forget any associations with matronly librarians and think instead of the snappy, confident clack of the heel meeting the ground and announcing its wearer’s arrival.
    Vogue, 14 Apr. 2019
  • Kevin’s 23 distinct alters include the effeminate fashionista Barry; the creepy neat freak Dennis; the matronly den mother Patricia; and an inquisitive, hip-hop-loving 9-year-old with a lisp named Hedwig.
    Michael O'Sullivan, The Denver Post, 20 Jan. 2017
  • The surrounding players are exaggerated, one-note caricatures; Barrie’s wife is a superficial shrew, her lover is a fop, the grandmother is stern and matronly, the promoter has a perpetual glint in his eye and the actors are campy.
    Mike Fischer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2018

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'matronly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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