What does "lady" mean?
The mistress of a household.
Lady
/ˈleɪ.di/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The mistress of a household.
- Grammar: lady is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: peeress, acceptable person, archduchess, baroness.
- Useful contrasts: antonym(s) of, chap, fella.
- Usage evidence: You should know better than to ask a lady her age.
How to use "lady"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "lady" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "lady" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "lady" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "lady" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "lady" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "peeress" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "lady", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The mistress of a household. historical
- 2 An aristocratic title for a woman.
"Honor guests were Ladies Smith and Walker of Port Huron, Michigan. Lady Walker has been a Maccabee for 40 years."
- 3 a woman of refinement wordnet
- 4 A woman of breeding or higher class, a woman of authority.
""I would like the dining room to be fully set by tonight; would you do so?" "Yes, my lady.""
- 5 An aristocratic title for a woman.; Used with a surname or the name of a peerage, for a peeress in her own right (other than a duchess), or the wife (or widow) of a peer (other than a duke).
"Would Lady Macbeth care for dessert?"
Show 21 more definitions
- 6 a woman of the peerage in Britain wordnet
- 7 The feminine of lord, a lordess.
"Of all theſe bounds euen from this Line, to this, / With ſhadowie Forreſts, and with Champains rich’d / With plenteous Riuers, and wide-ſkirted Meades / We make thee Lady."
- 8 An aristocratic title for a woman.; Used with a surname, for the wife (or widow) of a knight or baronet.
"Sir John Smith and Lady Smith accompanied the ambassador."
- 9 a polite name for any woman wordnet
- 10 A title for someone married to a lord or gentleman.
- 11 An aristocratic title for a woman.; Used as a courtesy title with the woman’s given name, for a daughter of a duke, marquess, or earl.
"He would feel that the mere idea of hearing a butler announce ‘Chief-Detective-Inspector and Lady Mary Parker’ would have something shocking about it."
- 12 A title that can be used instead of the formal terms of marchioness, countess, viscountess, or baroness.
- 13 An aristocratic title for a woman.; Used with her husband’s given name, for the wife (or widow) of a man who is the son of a duke or marquess, or the oldest son of an earl.
"”[…] Excuse me, mum, wot might your married name be?” ”Lady Peter Wimsey,” said Harriet, feeling not at all sure that it was her name."
- 14 A woman: an adult female human. polite
"Please direct this lady to the soft furnishings department."
- 15 A high priestess.
- 16 A polite reference or form of address to women. in-plural
"Ladies and gentlemen, it is a pleasure to be here today. Follow me, ladies!"
- 17 Used to address a female. slang
"Hey, lady, move your car!"
- 18 A wife or girlfriend; a sweetheart. informal
"It is my Lady, O it is my Loue, O that ſhe knew ſhe were, She ſpeakes, yet ſhe ſayes nothing, what of that?"
- 19 A woman to whom the particular homage of a knight was paid; a woman to whom one is devoted or bound.
"The ſoldier here his waſted ſtore ſupplies, And takes new valor from the Ladies’ eyes."
- 20 A queen (the playing card). slang
- 21 Who is a woman. attributive
"A lady doctor."
- 22 Alternative form of Lady. alt-of, alternative
- 23 gastric mill, the triturating apparatus in the stomach of a lobster, consisting of calcareous plates; so called from a fancied resemblance to a seated female figure. archaic
- 24 A five-pound note. (Rhyming slang, Lady Godiva for fiver.) UK, slang
- 25 A woman’s breast. in-plural, slang
- 26 A queen. rare, slang
Verb
- 1 To address as “lady”.
"“[…]When I am dead ye’ll mind I said it, my leddy.” “Ah, Elspeth, but do not lady me; say Christine, just wee Christine.[…]”"
Proper Noun
- 1 The title for the (primary) female deity in female-centered religions.
"My Lady, will you not take pity on me?"
- 2 The title for the (primary) female deity in female-centered religions.; The major supernatural figurehead in the Wiccan religion, a triune goddess split into the Mother, Maiden, and Crone.
"...different stages of life as represented by our Lady as Maiden, Mother, and Crone, as well as our Lord as Master, Father, and Sage."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"You should know better than to ask a lady her age."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "lady"?
Common synonyms include: peeress, acceptable person, archduchess, baroness, best girl, better half.
How do you use "lady" in a sentence?
You should know better than to ask a lady her age.
How do you pronounce "lady"?
Pronounced /ˈleɪ.di/.
Etymology
From Middle English lady, laddy, lafdi, lavedi, from Old English hlǣfdīġe (“mistress of a household, wife of a lord, lady”, literally “bread-kneader”), from hlāf (“bread, loaf”) + dīġe (“kneader”), related to Old English dǣġe (“maker of dough”) (whence dey (“dairymaid”)). Compare also lord. More at loaf, dairy, dough. Unrelated to lad.