bridesmaid
Americannoun
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a young woman who attends the bride at a wedding ceremony.
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Informal. a person, group, etc., that is in a secondary position, never quite attains a goal, etc..
Bridesmaids for 12 seasons, the Eagles finally won the championship.
noun
Etymology
Origin of bridesmaid
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.
"My friends, my lovely, lovely blind girlfriends - nine of them - will be on the bridesmaid list," she said.
From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026
Do you know of any places where I could find a cute bridesmaid gown for under $100, or do you have any ideas on how I could cut the costs of attending this wedding?
From MarketWatch • Dec. 8, 2025
This contest, for weeks, was instead a race between an outfit, Reform UK, which barely existed a few years back and another, Plaid Cymru - until now the perpetual bridesmaid in contests in Caerphilly.
From BBC • Oct. 24, 2025
On Facebook and elsewhere, buyers are venting about hundreds of dollars due on mouse pads, makeup and bridesmaid dresses.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 7, 2025
“Fleur’s sister’s a bridesmaid, she needs to be here for the rehearsal, and she’s too young to come on her own,” said Hermione, as she pored indecisively over Break with a Banshee.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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.
