girl next door

American

[gurl nekst dawr] / ˈgɜrl ˌnɛkst ˈdɔr /

noun

a girl or woman who exemplifies traditional or old-fashioned norms of behavior, gender, and beauty, and is generally considered to be pleasant, unassuming, familiar, and uncontroversial (often used attributively).

People still think of me as that goody-goody girl next door.
The actresses, with their girl next door image, make audiences swoon with their big smiles and friendly eyes.

Etymology

Origin of girl next door

First recorded in 1920–25

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.

Her creator wanted a realistic girl next door, an English rose.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 6, 2025

The brunette poses for photos and showcases a fully AI-generated comedy sketch, where it is described as having "girl next door vibes."

From BBC • Sep. 30, 2025

Matt is ambitious, determined to be grown up and hopelessly in love with the girl next door.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 1, 2024

Thus she may be shocked to discover that the world views her as reality TV platinum – part wholesome girl next door, part Anna Delvey.

From Salon • Jan. 6, 2024

David yells, and the girl next door glances our way.

From "Rules" by Cynthia Lord

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