boudoir

American  

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

noun

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

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boudoir British  

/ ˈbuːdwɑː, -dwɔː /

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

See Examples For:

boudoir

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

You have to wonder whether Tedros’ barbarism will make it hard to take the Weeknd seriously when he returns with his next batch of haunted boudoir jams.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2023

She opted before the record was released to first make a lighthearted video, set in a gym filled with out-of-shape men instead of in a boudoir.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 8, 2022

Instead of Albee’s Park Avenue-ish boudoir, Stephens locates three generations of the McBride family in a rent-controlled walk-up in Greenwich Village.

From New York Times ● Nov. 3, 2021

I didn’t have anything invested in Africa yet but a little old apartment boudoir decorated to the best of my abilities in blush pink.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Related Words

• bedroom