maidenly

[ meyd-n-lee ]

adjective

1. pertaining to, characteristic of, or befitting a maiden:

   a maidenly blush.

maidenly

/ ˈmeɪdənlɪ /

adjective

1. of or befitting a maiden

Derived Forms

• ˈmaidenliness, noun

Other Words From

• maiden·li·ness noun
• un·maiden·li·ness noun
• un·maiden·ly adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of maidenly¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; maiden, -ly

Example Sentences

“I’ll try, but it was a very ungentlemanly thing to do, I didn’t think you could be so sly and malicious, Laurie,” replied Meg, trying to hide her maidenly confusion under a gravely reproachful air.

From Literature

And in 1956 in Asbury Park, which was then, as it is today, a hub of gay life on the Jersey Shore, a bar was cited for serving men who “rocked and swayed their posteriors in a maidenly fashion.”

From New York Times

And it's adapted with a heightened, soap opera-y sense of dramatic irony conveyed through longing glances, annoyed walking, and maidenly sighing.

From Salon

In defiance of maidenly decorum and racial taboos, she asks Jack in for tea.

From New York Times

We have a description of how she looked when she walked in on that masculine gathering: “A shining buckle clasped her robe at the neck; her hair was simply dressed, caught up in a knot behind. An ivory quiver hung upon her left shoulder and in her hand was a bow. Thus was she attired. As for her face, it seemed too maidenly to be that of a boy, and too boyish to be that of a maiden.”

From Literature

Related Words

• clean
• decent
• fresh
• good
• honest
• true