Slang dictionary

the girl next door

What does the girl next door mean?

The girl next door is a term used to describe a female archetype and fashion aesthetic which can range in terms of personal definition, but usually denotes a girl or woman who appeals to traditional or “all-American” gender norms with the allure of purity, simplicity, and charm, with a natural, modest, or effortless beauty.

Where does the girl next door come from?

Examples of the girl next door

“Dad's interview advice: 'it doesn't seem like it's gonna be that formal so go dressed as 'the girl next door''”

Gen Wilson genwilson95 Twitter (March 12, 2017)

“Ah, yes, the elusive, iconic and beautiful girl next door: a rare but well-known breed… you know, like a monarch butterfly or a jungle bird.”

Jamie LeeLo, “Men Define What Makes A ‘Girl Next Door’ And Their Answers Are Hilariously Typical,” Elite Daily (March 21, 2017)

“So just when everyone was used to her bangs and polka dots and hand hearts, Tay-Tay traded in her good-girl image to be the girl next door.”

Denett Wilford, “Taylor Swift looks almost unrecognizable, and it’s amazing,” The Loop (November 12, 2014)

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Who uses the girl next door?

The term girl next door as a noun refers to a type of person, but girl next door is also often used as an adjective to describe a particular female aesthetic or aura.

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Note

This is not meant to be a formal definition of the girl next door like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of the girl next door that will help our users expand their word mastery.