grande dame
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grande dame
- /ˌɡɹɒ̃ ˈdɑːm/ UK, plural, singular
- /ɡɹɒn(d)-/ UK
- /ˌɡɹɑnd ˈdɑm/ US, plural, singular
- /ˌɡɹænd-/ US
Rhymes with -ɑːm, -ɑm
Where it comes from
Borrowed from French grande dame, from grande (the feminine form of grand (“great, grand”)) + dame (“lady”). Doublet of grandam.
The plural form grandes dames is borrowed from French grandes dames.
noun grandes dames
-
A woman who is high-ranking, socially prominent, or has a dignified character, especially one who is advanced in age and haughty.
In general the Continental, or at least the Belgian old women permit themselves a license of manners, speech, and aspect, such as our venerable grand-dames would recoil from as absolutely disreputable, […]
Similar: dowager, doyenne, grande madame
- A woman who is accomplished and influential, and is a respected senior figure in a particular field; a doyenne. Died. Ruth St. Denis, 90, grande dame of modern dance, whose foresight and inspiration helped change the U.S. from a choreographic wasteland to what is today one of the world's foremost centers of dance; […]
- A very highly regarded and well-known institution or structure, or large conveyance such as a ship. Carlton […] Returned to its former glory, this is the grande dame of all Bilbao hotels.
Translations
Every language
noun woman who is high-ranking, socially prominent, or has a dignified character
| Français | grande dame |
|---|---|
| עברית | גבירה כבודה, גבירה אריסטוקרטית, גבירה מרשימה |
Talk about this word "grande dame." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/grande%20dame. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. grande dame. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/grande%20dame "grande dame." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/grande%20dame.Cite this
@misc{grande_dame_2026,
title = {grande dame},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/grande%20dame},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
