donna

¹ American  

[dawn-nah] / ˈdɔn nɑ /

noun

1. (initial capital letter) Madam; Lady: an Italian title of respect prefixed to the given name of a woman.

2. an Italian lady.

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Donna ² American  

[don-uh] / ˈdɒn ə /

noun

1. a female given name.

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Donna British  

/ ˈdɒnə, ˈdɔnna /

noun

1. an Italian title of address equivalent to Madam, indicating respect

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Etymology

Origin of donna

1660–70; < Italian < Latin domina, feminine of dominus

Example Sentences

The film may lull periodically, but all else fades away when the prima donna takes center stage for her aria.

From Salon • Sep. 28, 2024

“Parmi veder le lagrime” oozed with self-regarding longing, and “La donna è mobile” had the suavity of someone who doesn’t need to showboat.

From New York Times • Nov. 11, 2022

On the back of such stories, Andrews was given a slew of lionising monikers: "prima donna in pigtails," "infant prodigy of trills," "the miracle voice" and "Britain's juvenile coloratura."

From Salon • Oct. 10, 2022

In the Putin years, she has remained a staple on state television; state-run Channel 1 offered wall-to-wall coverage of her 70th birthday in 2019, calling her the “the prima donna of the national stage.”

From New York Times • Sep. 18, 2022

It’s a pretext for being a prima donna.

From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini