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maiden

maiden

126 8.8
A young woman who is not married
  • noun
  • /ˈmeɪdən/
  • Archaic
translation icon : doncella
  • The Prince was trapped in his castle until one day a fair maiden came to rescue him.
  • maiden name
  • a young maiden
  • a maiden dance

What about the servant girl, the Dean's maiden, Anna?

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Examples

  • Once upon a time, three little maidens were lost in a great forest.

  • "The young woman hesitated, then took a step toward the Maiden and grasped the outstretched hand.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • I love that you kept your maiden name.

  • That young maiden, who owns this farm..

  • Poor young maiden!

  • With the barest of smiles, the Maiden extended her berry-filled hands to an astonished Larissa.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The fair maiden danced gracefully at the village festival.

  • In the story, the brave maiden stood up for her beliefs despite the challenges.

  • Many poets have celebrated the beauty of a young maiden in their verses.

Synonyms

young lady
vsmaiden
487 1.0

A girl or young woman in her teens to early twenties

is the older literary word focused on youth rather than modern polite address
maid
vsmaiden
  • Archaic
112 9.9

An unmarried girl or young woman often mentioned in old stories

is the literary old-fashioned word meaning an unmarried young woman
mademoiselle
vsmaiden
  • Formal
53 8.2

A French word for a young or unmarried woman

is the English literary old-fashioned label rather than a foreign form of address
lass
vsmaiden
  • UK
41 4.8

A girl or young woman

is the older literary choice rather than common informal usage
lassie
vsmaiden
  • UK
35 9.5

A Scottish word for a girl or young woman

is the literary old-fashioned label rather than a regional informal term
bachelorette
vsmaiden
  • US
35 3.8

A woman who is about to get married and often has a party before the wedding

is the general old-fashioned youthful word rather than a bridal celebration term
damsel
vsmaiden
  • Archaic
32 9.6

A young woman often shown as delicate and needing help in old stories

is the old-fashioned term without implying fragility or rescue
unmarried woman
vsmaiden
9 1.0

A woman who is not married

is the literary youthful word rather than a neutral civil status term
demoiselle
vsmaiden
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A young unmarried woman in old stories

is the same idea but used especially in old or literary speech
virginals
vsmaiden
  • Archaic
9.9

Young unmarried women, especially those who have not had sex

is the literary old-fashioned term without strong emphasis on virginity
damoiselle
vsmaiden
  • Archaic
9.9

A young unmarried woman who appears in old stories

is the same sense but survives as a more antique variant
damozel
vsmaiden
  • Archaic
9.9

A young unmarried woman in old stories

is the poetic literary label rather than a modern everyday word
bachelor girl
vsmaiden
  • Archaic
7.8

A young woman who is not married and lives alone and supports herself

is the literary youthful label rather than a term for independent living

Antonyms

1.0

A married woman who is someone's partner

Compounds

45 3.1

A woman's last name before she marries

10 4.9

A first trip by a new ship or plane after it is built

maiden aunt
  • Archaic
1 7.2

A parent's sister who never married

The first time a new plane, rocket, or vehicle goes into the air

1 9.9

An iron box shaped like a person with spikes inside that causes great pain or death

ice maiden
  • Offensive
1 8.8

A woman who seems cold and shows little feeling

A small wildflower with tiny blue and white flowers that grows in western North America

9.8

One set of six balls in cricket when the batting team scores no runs

9.1

A small low plant with pale pink flowers and dark centers

How Formal

demoiselle
  • Archaic
1 9.9
maiden
  • Archaic
126 8.8
young woman
519 1.0
girl
1.0

Surface Forms

maiden singular
maidens plural

Morphology

maiden = maid (semi-transparent) = maid + en

The form can be segmented as maid + -en, but the old suffix is no longer productive and the meaning has shifted somewhat from the base.

Etymology

Maiden comes from an old English word for a young woman and shares the same root as maid, so it once meant a young, unmarried, or innocent woman.