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.

She gave him money for a deposit, bought bridesmaid dresses for her daughters, a veil, "a few little trinket bits".

From BBC

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

Despite her reservations about Swan, when Jenni asked Shannon to be her bridesmaid, she agreed.

From BBC

Now I have a similar question about another bridesmaid.

From MarketWatch

How much should I actually be helping plan a bachelorette party when I’m a bridesmaid — not the maid of honor?

From MarketWatch

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