Mary Sue

American

[mer-ee soo, mair-ee] / ˈmɛr i ˈsu, ˈmɛər i /

noun

a fictional character, especially a female character, who is considered to be unrealistically competent, attractive, and lacking in flaws, and is sometimes thought to be an idealized representation of the author.

Etymology

Origin of Mary Sue

First recorded in 1975–80; after the main character in a Star Trek fan fiction parody story

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.

Back in the 1990s, chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger took over Food Network with “Too Hot Tamales,” launching them into celebrity chef status before that was even a thing.

From Salon • Feb. 8, 2025

Mary Sue Coleman, the interim president at the University of Michigan, said not to “take the rumblings seriously about me and the N.C.A.A.”

From New York Times • Apr. 27, 2022

The regents last week named former UM President Mary Sue Coleman, a chemist, as interim president.

From Science Magazine • Jan. 19, 2022

He was succeeded in the position on an interim basis by Mary Sue Coleman.

From Washington Post • Jan. 19, 2022

The board appointed former University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman as interim president.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 18, 2022

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023