noun
boudoir
BOOD-wah
Boudoir (noun) means a woman's private sitting room, dressing room, or bedroom. Example: “She retreated to her boudoir to write letters in peace.”
noun
1
A woman's private sitting room, dressing room, or bedroom.
"She retreated to her boudoir to write letters in peace."
"The old house still had a small boudoir off the main bedroom."
"Dorcas, faithful to her “young gentlemen,” denied strenuously that it could have been John’s voice she heard, and resolutely declared, in the teeth of everything, that it was Mr. Inglethorp who had been in the boudoir with her mistress."
— Agatha Christie, The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920)
"I found her in her boudoir getting outside a dish of tea and a crumpet."
— Pelham Grenville Wodehouse (1960)
How to use boudoir
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA woman's private, often elegant, personal room.
When to use it
A slightly old-fashioned, romantic word — common in period fiction and in phrases like "boudoir photography."
Common pairings
boudoir photography
a lady's boudoir
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Word forms
- Plural
- boudoirs
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She retreated to her _____ to write letters in peace.
Etymology
From French boudoir, literally "a place to sulk," from bouder, "to sulk" — originally a room a lady could retreat to in a mood.
Rhymes for boudoir
See all rhymes for boudoir →Frequently asked questions
What does “boudoir” mean?
The word “boudoir” means a woman's private sitting room, dressing room, or bedroom. In plain terms, a woman's private, often elegant, personal room.
How do you pronounce “boudoir”?
“Boudoir” is pronounced BOOD-wah (/buˈdwɑɹ/ in IPA).
How do you use “boudoir” in a sentence?
Here is “boudoir” used in a sentence: “She retreated to her boudoir to write letters in peace.”
What part of speech is “boudoir”?
“Boudoir” is a noun.
Where does the word “boudoir” come from?
The word “boudoir” comes from French. From French boudoir, literally "a place to sulk," from bouder, "to sulk" — originally a room a lady could retreat to in a mood.
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