maidenly

[ meyd-n-lee ]
See synonyms for maidenly on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. pertaining to, characteristic of, or befitting a maiden: a maidenly blush.

Origin of maidenly

1
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at maiden, -ly

Other words from maidenly

  • maid·en·li·ness, noun
  • un·maid·en·li·ness, noun
  • un·maid·en·ly, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use maidenly in a sentence

  • Kettie at all times and seasons was modest and good; never was an unmaidenly look seen from her, or a bold word heard.

  • How dare you stand there with a bold face and acknowledge such a thing to me, you unmaidenly girl?

  • For Amy understood that it was imputed to her that she had been forward and unmaidenly.

    The Heir of Redclyffe | Charlotte M. Yonge
  • I told him, if he would like to know why I behaved in "that unmaidenly way," he had better apply at home.

  • We beg to make this observation, lest the roses' wish "to kiss the sun," be thought unmaidenly.

    A Christmas Greeting | Hans Christian Andersen

British Dictionary definitions for maidenly

maidenly

/ (ˈmeɪdənlɪ) /


adjective
  1. of or befitting a maiden

Derived forms of maidenly

  • maidenliness, noun

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