maidenly
1
8.8
- adjective
- /ˈmeɪdənli/
- Archaic
- And we watched the almost maidenly modesty with which she crossed the quickly emptying parking lot and came back inside.
- maidenly modesty
Examples
-
Is that more of that maidenly resistance?
-
Is your maidenly virtue for sale?
-
Her little maidenly cabin is not only the outpost of civilization; it is her refuge.
Fiction book (1996) -
Their heads slightly tilted and their hands almost on their hearts, they parody a cliché of maidenly sentimentality.
Academic text (2003) -
The young girl walked with a maidenly grace, keeping her head held high and eyes full of innocence.
-
Her maidenly attire was modest, featuring a long dress that flowed elegantly around her.
-
Everyone admired her maidenly demeanor, which was characterized by shyness and demure smiles.
Synonyms
5
3.6
Clothes or behavior that do not show much skin and avoid sexual attention
1
6.8
Simple and not decorated in style
1
7.9
Modest and gentle in appearance and behaviour like a young unmarried woman
Antonyms
How Modest
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Maidenly comes from maiden, the same root as maid, which once meant 'a young or unmarried woman'. So, maidenly describes a modest, shy, or innocent way of behaving, like the careful, proper manner people long ago expected from a young woman.