boudoir
Americannoun
noun
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."
Vocabulary lists containing boudoir
English Words Derived from French, List 4
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The Haunting of Hill House
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The Poisonwood Bible
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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.
As framed by beautiful, evocative pairings that punctuate the show’s final galleries, the conversation continued, with some of Manet’s later boudoir interiors and portraits of fashionable Parisiennes unthinkable without Morisot’s example.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2025
The women also appeared in a Japanese-inflected boudoir scene in her “Rich Girl” music video in which Stefani at times sports a white bustier and geisha hairstyle.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 11, 2023
Kirsty Corbett, co-owner of Be Bold Be You boudoir photography studio, said several of her clients have had images removed from social media for breaching standards.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2021
The cast would also take a handful of lucky audience members off to other rooms in the townhouse — Gatsby’s boudoir, for instance — to take part in short, interactive scenes.
From New York Times ● Oct. 19, 2020
"Why must you have that creature with us in the boudoir?" one of her ladies says.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
