noun
Common
dame
daym
Dame (noun) means a title given to a woman who holds a high honour, equivalent to "Sir" for a man. Example: “The actress was proud to be called Dame after the ceremony at the palace.”
noun
1
A title given to a woman who holds a high honour, equivalent to "Sir" for a man.
"The actress was proud to be called Dame after the ceremony at the palace."
"Dame Judith was thanked at the dinner for years of work for the hospital."
"She was made a Dame for her services to charity."
2
Informal, especially in older American slang: a woman.
"In the old black-and-white film, a mysterious dame steps out of the fog."
"The detective in the story kept calling every woman he met a dame."
"Some dame walked into the office looking for trouble."
How to use dame
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither a formal title of honour for a woman, or old-fashioned slang for "woman."
When to use it
The slang sense sounds dated and is mostly associated with old detective films — using it casually today can come across as old-fashioned.
Common pairings
Dame Judi Dench
a tough dame
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Word forms
- Plural
- dames
- Third person singular
- dames
- Past tense
- damed
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The actress was proud to be called _____ after the ceremony at the palace.
Etymology
From Old French dame ("lady"), from Latin domina ("mistress of the house").
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for dame
See all rhymes for 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.
