bridesmaid

[brahydz-meyd]

noun

1. a young woman who attends the bride at a wedding ceremony.

2. 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.

bridesmaid

/ ˈbraɪdzˌmeɪd /

noun

1. a girl or young unmarried woman who attends a bride at her wedding Compare matron of honour maid of honour

Word History and Origins

Origin of bridesmaid¹

First recorded in 1545–55; bride ¹ + 's ¹ + maid

Example Sentences

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.

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On Facebook and elsewhere, buyers are venting about hundreds of dollars due on mouse pads, makeup and bridesmaid dresses.

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Always the bridesmaid, never the bride is a phrase that could have been invented for director Paul Thomas Anderson.

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As her bridesmaids, we tried to keep costs down.

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The suspected thief, who was an uninvited guest, went largely unnoticed until a bridesmaid saw him grab the donation box from the banquet hall and dash out through a side door.

Read more on Los Angeles Times