damsel
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of damsel
1150–1200; Middle English damisel < Anglo-French ( Old French damoisele ) < Vulgar Latin *dominicella, equivalent to Latin domin ( a ) lady ( see dame) + -i- -i- + -cella feminine diminutive suffix
Explanation
A young, unmarried woman is a damsel. If you've ever seen a young girl being chased by a rabid dog, then you've witnessed a damsel in distress! The word damsel is a shortened version of the French word, mademoiselle, which is what the French call a young woman who is not married — like the word miss in English. Damsel was originally a word reserved for noblewomen — the rich and fabulous. Nowadays even regular unmarried Janes can be referred to as damsel, though you're really most likely to come across the word damsel being rescued by a prince in a fairytale.
Vocabulary lists containing damsel
Holding Up the Universe
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"Kubla Khan" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
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Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library
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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:
See recent attempts by Disney to broaden the scope of its Marvel and Star Wars franchises, or Nintendo this month transforming its popular damsel in distress Princess Zelda into a hero.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2024
Dunst, 41, says it is refreshing her character is the lead in an action film and not a "damsel in distress".
From BBC ● Apr. 2, 2024
“There are tales of chivalry, where the heroic knight saves the damsel in distress,” a young woman’s voice intones as “Damsel” begins.
From New York Times ● Mar. 7, 2024
But also, it has a lot of humor surrounding it, because it's that damsel in distress kind of character.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2023
“Because I’m a damsel in distress,” she said, “and you are a knight in whatever. A really dirty car. You know someone wrote Wash Me! on your rear windshield?”
From "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman
So, Ichikawa played beautiful damsels, as well as witches, samurai and even animals throughout his career.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 15, 2023
"I got myself into action films because I didn't believe that women were damsels in distress. Their stories need to be told correctly," Yeoh says.
From BBC ● Mar. 9, 2023
"That was something I always kept an eye on, I never wanted the girls to be over-sexualized or victims or damsels in distress."
From Salon ● Oct. 25, 2021
For Ann — an intentionally archetypal figure reminiscent of the fragile damsels of film history — Cotillard was shown an interview with the French-German actress Romy Schneider.
From New York Times ● Aug. 13, 2021
In Gran’s stories, damsels in distress were always trapped in towers.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
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.
