maid
6 synonyms and 1 antonym for maid, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A woman employed to clean a house or do domestic work.
Synonyms
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.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun
A woman employed to clean a house or do domestic work.
“The hotel maid knocked to ask if the room needed cleaning.”
2. noun
(literary or old-fashioned) A young unmarried woman or girl.
“In the old tale, a maid waits by the tower window for her rescuer.”
Opposites
How to use maid
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
hotel maid
lady's maid
maid service
Etymology
A shortened form of Middle English "maiden", ultimately from Old English maegden, "girl".
Full origin of maid →Frequently asked questions
What does “maid” mean?
The word “maid” means a woman employed to clean a house or do domestic work. In plain terms, most commonly today, a household or hotel cleaner; the "young woman" meaning is now mainly literary.
How do you pronounce “maid”?
“Maid” is pronounced mayd (/meɪd/ in IPA).
How do you use “maid” in a sentence?
Here is “maid” used in a sentence: “The hotel maid knocked to ask if the room needed cleaning.”
What part of speech is “maid”?
“Maid” is a noun.
Where does the word “maid” come from?
The word “maid” comes from Old English. A shortened form of Middle English "maiden", ultimately from Old English maegden, "girl".
Is “maid” a common word?
“Maid” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “maid” have?
“Maid” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a woman employed to clean a house or do domestic work.
What is the difference between a maid and a housekeeper?
A maid is a woman employed to clean a house or perform domestic work, often with tasks focused on cleaning and tidying. A housekeeper's role can be broader, sometimes including managing household staff, budgets, or other domestic operations in addition to cleaning.
Is maid used to describe a young unmarried woman?
Yes, in literary or old-fashioned usage, maid can describe a young unmarried woman or girl, separate from its more common modern meaning of a domestic worker. This sense is now largely confined to older texts, poetry, or archaic-sounding speech.
Is maid a formal job title?
Maid is a commonly used, fairly informal title for domestic cleaning staff, though it appears in job listings and household contexts as a standard term. More formal alternatives like housekeeper are sometimes preferred in professional settings.
