bridesmaid
Americannoun
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bridesmaids
plural
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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
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
That means even brides without massive social-media followings are promoting companies online in exchange for free booze, engagement party dresses and favors for bridesmaid goody bags.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
It was a powerful moment, and all around me even the men were bawling like a bridesmaid at her best friend’s wedding.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
DeSorbo was a bridesmaid at Batula’s wedding and vocal from the get-go about her disdain for Cooke.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2026
Despite her reservations about Swan, when Jenni asked Shannon to be her bridesmaid, she agreed.
From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2026
"Have another scone, my dear. I expect your Daisy shall be a bridesmaid."
From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman
The pair both dressed in Christian Dior, according to Swift's longtime publicist, and elected to skip bridesmaids and groomsmen.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
“We’re pulling the wine pinkish red color out of the bridesmaids dresses into my tie, and we’re incorporating it into the napkins.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026
After three successive second-placed finishes in the Premier League and a host of semi-final defeats, reaching a final offers Arsenal a chance to prove they are more than perennial bridesmaids.
From Barron's ● Feb. 3, 2026
Check with the other bridesmaids and see how much they spent on their dresses, where they purchased their gowns, and if they have any suggestions for similar versions on the cheap.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 8, 2025
There we sat, draped like tired bridesmaids with our yards of white veil, numbed by the airplane’s horrible noise, skimming above the treetops.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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.
