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maidenliness

maidenliness

9.9
A gentle, modest, and innocent way of acting or looking like a young woman
  • noun
  • /ˈmeɪdənlɪnəs/
  • Archaic
translation icon : virginidad
  • Her maidenliness was evident in her gentle manner and reserved speech.

Examples

  • In that era, families placed great value on the maidenliness of their daughters.

  • The poet praised the maidenliness of his beloved, comparing her to a delicate rose.

  • Her maidenliness was evident in her shy demeanor.

  • The maidenliness of the character made her endearing.

  • In that era, families placed great value on the maidenliness of their daughters.

  • Her maidenliness was evident in her gentle manner and reserved speech.

  • The poet praised the maidenliness of his beloved, comparing her to a delicate rose.

Synonyms

purity
vsmaidenliness
  • Formal
18 3.3

The state of not having had sex, often used about women

focuses more on modest appearance and youth than on sexual chastity
modesty
vsmaidenliness
15 3.8

Dressing or behaving to avoid attracting attention and not show off

stresses innocence and youthfulness rather than only proper dress
girlishness
vsmaidenliness
1 5.1

A way of behaving or looking that seems young and playful like a girl

emphasises modest, innocent behavior and youth rather than general style
girliness
vsmaidenliness
1 4.1

Style or behavior people connect with girls, like pink clothes

focuses on modest, innocent conduct rather than style or fashion
pureness
vsmaidenliness
1 5.9

A woman's not having sex before marriage

highlights modest, innocent manners and youth rather than strict virtue
modestness
vsmaidenliness
3.7

Being humble and not showing pride in yourself

is about modest, innocent manners and youthful appearance rather than humility

Antonyms

19 5.1

A small unwanted substance in a material that can make it unsafe

lewdness
  • Offensive
4 7.9

Sexual words or actions that are rude and offensive

immodesty
  • NSFW
1 8.0

Showing private body parts or dressing so others find it indecent

How Modest

maidenliness
  • Archaic
9.9
modesty
15 3.8
reserve
9 5.2

Surface Forms

maidenliness singular

Morphology

maidenliness = maidenly (transparent) = maiden + ly + ness

Standard nominalization of the adjective 'maidenly' by '-ness', with the adjective itself transparently derived from 'maiden' + '-ly'.

Etymology

Maidenliness comes from maiden, an old English word meaning 'a young, unmarried woman' and related to the simple word maid, plus the ending -ness, which means 'quality' or 'state'. So maidenliness is the 'quality of being like a maiden', which is why it now means modesty, innocence, or purity.