boudoir

American  

[boo-dwahr, -dwawr] / ˈbu dwɑr, -dwɔr /

noun

1. a woman's bedroom or private sitting room.

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boudoir British  

/ -dwɔː, ˈbuːdwɑː /

noun

1. a woman's bedroom or private sitting room

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Etymology

Origin of boudoir

1775–85; < French: literally, a sulking place ( boud ( er ) to sulk + -oir -ory ² )

Explanation

Boudoir is a slightly old-fashioned word for a bedroom. You could invite a friend for a sleepover and say, "You can sleep on the spare bed in my boudoir." These days, the word boudoir is mainly used for its humorous effect. You may also come across it in an old book or movie, almost always referring to a woman's private bedroom. A boudoir is comfortable and luxurious, and the word itself was popular among the upper class in the 18th century, from the French and meaning "pouting room," from bouder, "to pout" or "to sulk."

Example Sentences

In his Jeeves stories, Bertie Wooster is briefly employed by a magazine called Milady's Boudoir, which was housed "in one of those rummy streets in the Covent Garden neighbourhood".

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2025

Tarek Debira and Patricia Ageheim, the owners of Le Boudoir, a bar, and Chez Moi, a restaurant nearby, have opened this venue for drinks, done in midcentury-modern style.

From New York Times • Feb. 25, 2020

She joined the Association of International Boudoir Photographers where she met Jamie Pfister, who owns The Adore Girls studio in Nashville, where Bell now works.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 30, 2017

Photograph: Geraint Lewis / Rex Features PG Wodehouse got a lot of fun out of a fictional magazine called Milady's Boudoir, which continually teetered on the brink of bankruptcy.

From The Guardian • Mar. 19, 2010

"I've never really had time before to study the toilet hints," said Beatrice Howell one afternoon, poring over a certain page headed "My Lady's Boudoir."

From The Luckiest Girl in the School by Brazil, Angela

Related Words

• bedroom