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Showing results for bridesmaid. Search instead for Bridesmaid-Duties.

bridesmaid

American  
[brahydz-meyd] / ˈbraɪdzˌmeɪd /

noun

  1. a young woman who attends the bride at a wedding ceremony.

  2. Informal. a person, group, etc., that is in a secondary position, never quite attains a goal, etc..

    Bridesmaids for 12 seasons, the Eagles finally won the championship.


bridesmaid British  
/ ˈbraɪdzˌmeɪd /

noun

  1. a girl or young unmarried woman who attends a bride at her wedding Compare matron of honour maid of honour

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of bridesmaid

First recorded in 1545–55; bride 1 + 's 1 + maid

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

DeSorbo was a bridesmaid at Batula’s wedding and vocal from the get-go about her disdain for Cooke.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

She gave him money for a deposit, bought bridesmaid dresses for her daughters, a veil, "a few little trinket bits".

From BBC • Feb. 12, 2026

Taking the initiative in this way also establishes a clear boundary and may, at the very least, motivate this bridesmaid to drop out earlier rather than at the last minute.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 30, 2026

Do you know of any places where I could find a cute bridesmaid gown for under $100, or do you have any ideas on how I could cut the costs of attending this wedding?

From MarketWatch • Dec. 8, 2025

Two years later Root married the bridesmaid, Dora Monroe, and very likely broke her poet-sister’s heart.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

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