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Glite Dictionary
grande dame

grande dame

2 8.2
An older woman who is respected and important in a field or society
  • noun
  • /ˌɡrɑːnd ˈdɑːm/
translation icon : grande dame
  • He had tax trouble; he had trouble with his mother, Gertrude, a grande dame of the theatre who tyrannized him; and, despite having more or less saved the musical genre with "42nd Street," he got into trouble in the industry, in part because of his own hard-driving ways.
  • the grande dame of hotels
  • the grande dame of resorts
  • the grande dame of restaurants

Examples

  • The fashion designer, a true grande dame of the industry, showcased her latest collection during New York Fashion Week.

  • A young curate, newly appointed to a village church, is invited by the local grande dame to tea.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Uh, Mrs Timkin, you may be our grande dame, but I've had serious doubts about a woman your age running this store.

    Mannequin (1987)

  • And now the grande dame of the Wellbright clan has hurled herself over a cliff.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • Well, they hadn't seen the grande dame herself, but they'd had plenty of fun matching three longshoremen dime for dime in craps.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • Carrie Donovan, lately of the Times, and Suzy Mehle, the grande dame of the Herald Tribune, were also here.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • In her 80s, she is regarded as the grande dame of the local art scene, influencing many younger artists.

  • Known for her philanthropy and leadership, Vera is the grande dame of the charity organization she founded.

Synonyms

dame
vsgrande dame
  • UK
13 6.9

A woman given an official title for important public service

is more about longstanding respect and influence than formal rank or title
doyenne
vsgrande dame
  • Formal
2 9.9

A woman who is the most respected person in a field because of her age or experience

is highly respected and influential but not always the single top figure

How Respected

grande dame
2 8.2
distinguished
  • Formal
144 4.8
respected
8 2.3
notable
5 4.1

Surface Forms

grande dame singular
grande dames plural

Morphology

grande + dame

The phrase is compositionally built from 'grande' (great/large) + 'dame' (lady), so an English learner who knows both constituents can infer 'great/distinguished woman' directly. Cross-linguistic parallels (e.g. Spanish/Italian forms) and the straightforward literal sense make the meaning predictable despite being a French loan and somewhat formal.

Etymology

Grande dame comes from French: grande means 'great' and dame means 'lady', and it creates the image of a grand, elegant woman who others admire. So grande dame now means 'a respected, influential woman'.