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bridesmaid

American

[brahydz-meyd] / ˈbraɪdzˌmeɪd /

noun

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

/ ˈbraɪdzˌmeɪd /

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of bridesmaid

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

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.

Speaking about being a bridesmaid to the late Queen to the Telegraph in 2017, Lady Pamela described the experience as a "tremendous rush", as she had to return to the UK from India.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 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

Fighting back tears as she placed flowers at the scene on Monday, Joanne said Sarah – who was a bridesmaid at her wedding – "left a mark with absolutely everyone she met".

From BBC • Jan. 5, 2026

Even the mental image of that bridesmaid dress chart is wild.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 8, 2025

We’ve been Jilly Bean and Jessa Jean, and now we are Jillian and J. J. Maybe someday we’ll be college roommates, or bride and bridesmaid, or auntie to each other’s kids.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

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