mistress

6 synonyms and 1 antonym for mistress, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A woman having an ongoing romantic or sexual relationship with a man who is married to someone else.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

lover

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

paramour matriarch lady of the house schoolmarm schoolmistress

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

A woman having an ongoing romantic or sexual relationship with a man who is married to someone else.

“In the old novel, the king's mistress lived in a grand house outside the city.”

paramour lover matriarch lady of the house schoolmarm schoolmistress

2. noun

A woman in a position of authority or control, or the female head of a household.

“She was the mistress of the estate-mansion, and owned the horses.”

Opposites

servant

How to use mistress

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

keep a mistress mistress of the house

Etymology

From Old French maistresse, the feminine form of maistre, "master."

Full origin of mistress →

Frequently asked questions

Does mistress always refer to a romantic relationship?

No, mistress has a second, unrelated sense referring to a woman in a position of authority or control, or the female head of a household, as in "mistress of the estate." This meaning has nothing to do with romantic relationships.

Is mistress a term still commonly used today?

The word is somewhat dated but still understood and used, particularly in discussions of historical relationships, literature, or when describing a woman's romantic involvement with a married man. The "head of household" sense also survives in more formal or historical contexts, such as "headmistress."

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lover servant matriarch paramour schoolmistress

Nearby words

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