dame
11 synonyms for dame, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A title given to a woman who holds a high honour, equivalent to "Sir" for a man.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use dame
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Dame Judi Dench
a tough dame
The slang sense sounds dated and is mostly associated with old detective films — using it casually today can come across as old-fashioned.
Etymology
From Old French dame ("lady"), from Latin domina ("mistress of the house").
Full origin of dame →Frequently asked questions
What does “dame” mean?
The word “dame” means a title given to a woman who holds a high honour, equivalent to "Sir" for a man. In plain terms, either a formal title of honour for a woman, or old-fashioned slang for "woman.".
How do you pronounce “dame”?
“Dame” is pronounced daym (/deɪm/ in IPA).
How do you use “dame” in a sentence?
Here is “dame” used in a sentence: “She was made a Dame for her services to charity.”
What is another word for “dame”?
Words with a similar meaning to “dame” include woman.
What part of speech is “dame”?
“Dame” is a noun.
Where does the word “dame” come from?
The word “dame” comes from Latin. From Old French dame ("lady"), from Latin domina ("mistress of the house").
Is “dame” a common word?
“Dame” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “dame” have?
“Dame” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a title given to a woman who holds a high honour, equivalent to "Sir" for a man.
What is the difference between 'Dame' and 'Lady' as titles?
'Dame' is the honour given to a woman who holds a high honour in her own right, equivalent to 'Sir' for a knighted man, and precedes her first name. 'Lady' is often used for the wives of knights and for certain peers, making it more commonly a courtesy title.
What is the female equivalent of 'Sir'?
'Dame' is the female equivalent of 'Sir,' given as a title to a woman who holds a high honour. Like 'Sir,' it is used before the person's first name.
Is calling a woman a 'dame' polite?
It depends on the sense. As a formal title, 'Dame' is a mark of high honour. As informal, older American slang for a woman, 'dame' can sound dated and, to some, disrespectful, so it is best avoided in modern respectful speech.
Is 'dame' meaning 'woman' still commonly used?
The slang sense of 'dame' for a woman is chiefly associated with older, especially American, informal speech and now sounds dated. It appears often in classic films and hard-boiled fiction but is uncommon in everyday modern English.
