lady
lady — noun
1. a polite or somewhat old-fashioned expression used to talk about a woman, especi
a polite or somewhat old-fashioned expression used to talk about a woman, especially one whose name you do not know or when you wish to be respectful
An elderly lady at the bus stop asked Shirin for directions to the post office.
elderly lady — polite term for an older woman
A young lady from the travel agency is waiting for Dr. Chen in the reception area with documents.
young lady — polite way to mention a woman
The kind lady next door brought homemade soup when the Okafor family was sick.
the kind lady next door — polite reference to a neighbour
The lady at the front desk handed Dewi a key card and a welcome letter.
the lady at the front desk — polite reference to staff
- elderly lady
- young lady
- kind lady
- old lady
- little lady
- gentleman
the male equivalent in polite address
Usage Note
In modern everyday English, woman is more common than lady for neutral reference. Lady can sound old-fashioned or overly formal in casual contexts.
Common Mistakes
2. a woman who carries herself with grace, good manners, and the traditional qualit
a woman who carries herself with grace, good manners, and the traditional qualities expected of someone from a refined upbringing
When the power went out during the wedding dinner, Chidi's mother remained a true lady and calmly lit candles.
a true lady — woman of grace and composure
The etiquette school taught the girls how to behave like proper young ladies, from table manners to polite conversation.
proper young ladies — trained in refined manners
Ravindra described his grandmother as a real lady who never raised her voice or spoke unkindly.
a real lady — describes good manners and kindness
Hana's grandmother showed her how to be a lady by always making guests feel welcome and comfortable.
to be a lady — learning gracious behaviour
- true lady
- real lady
- proper lady
- perfect lady
- gentlewoman
formal and historical; rarely used today
- dame
the British honour title; dated as a general term for a refined woman
- gentleman
the male counterpart in behaviour, not a synonym
- mess
informal contrast — 'a lady, not a mess'
Usage Note
Describing someone as 'a lady' or 'a real lady' in this sense is a compliment about their manners and behaviour, not their social class.
Common Mistakes
3. placed in front of a job title to indicate that the worker is female, an increas
placed in front of a job title to indicate that the worker is female, an increasingly dated practice in modern English since the profession itself is now seen as gender-neutral
In the 1970s the clinic hired a lady doctor to run the women's health department, which was still unusual then.
a lady doctor — old-fashioned job label
Mauricio's aunt was one of the first lady judges in her country.
lady judges — gender-marked professional title
When João booked the tour in 1985, the company sent a lady driver to meet his group at the airport.
lady driver — emphasises the driver's gender
In the 1960s the school board hired a lady principal for the elementary school, a rare choice at the time.
lady principal — gender-marked school leadership role
- lady doctor
- lady judge
- lady driver
- lady lawyer
- lady painter
- woman
as in 'woman doctor' — still gender-marked but more neutral than 'lady'
Usage Note
This usage is increasingly seen as old-fashioned or unnecessary because it implies that the default professional is male. In modern writing, it is usually better to say 'a doctor', 'a judge', or 'a driver' without marking gender.
Common Mistakes
4. a direct address to a woman that conveys irritation or disrespect, and is consid
a direct address to a woman that conveys irritation or disrespect, and is considered rude by most women in modern society
Hey lady, you are blocking the entire aisle with that shopping cart!
Hey lady — rude, impatient address
The man shouted Watch where you are going, lady as Trang stepped off the bus.
Watch where you are going, lady — aggressive tone
A stranger snapped, 'Listen, lady, I don't work here,' and Élise knew the word was meant to dismiss her.
Listen lady — dismissive and disrespectful
Look, lady, I was here before you, so please wait your turn like everyone else.
Look, lady — impatient demand with condescending tone
- hey lady
- listen lady
- look lady
- lady!
- ma'am
polite address; the opposite in tone
Usage Note
This is different from polite uses of 'lady' (Sense 1). The rude tone comes from the context, the imperative verb, and the raised voice. Learners should avoid using 'lady' as a direct form of address unless they are certain it will be received politely.
Common Mistakes
5. a restroom for women inside a public facility such as a restaurant, a hotel, a t
a restroom for women inside a public facility such as a restaurant, a hotel, a theatre, or an airport, often marked with a sign that reads 'Ladies' or 'Ladies' room'
Excuse me, could you tell me where the ladies' room is in this shopping centre?
ladies' room — polite inquiry for the women's toilet
A yellow sign pointed to the ladies' on the second floor of the mall, next to the food court entrance.
the ladies' — shortened form for women's toilet
During the concert interval, João noticed a long queue snaking from the ladies' all the way down the hall.
outside the ladies' — referring to the location of the toilet
Niran asked a waiter at the cafe where the ladies' was, and the man pointed toward the back hallway.
where the ladies' was — asking for the women's restroom
- ladies' room
- the ladies'
- ladies' toilet
- ladies' bathroom
- women's room
direct and neutral
- restroom
common in American English; can refer to men's or women's
- powder room
old-fashioned euphemism
- gents'
the men's equivalent
Usage Note
Almost always used in the plural possessive form — 'the ladies'' or 'the ladies' room'. The singular 'lady's room' is incorrect for this meaning. The men's equivalent is 'the gents' or 'the gentlemen's'.
Common Mistakes
6. used as a polite way to begin a speech or announcement by addressing the female
used as a polite way to begin a speech or announcement by addressing the female members of an audience, almost always paired with 'gentlemen'
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the opening night of the Edinburgh Festival, announced the mayor on stage.
Ladies and gentlemen — standard formal speech opening
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and thank you for supporting our charity dinner for the new library wing.
ladies and gentlemen — polite audience greeting
Ladies and gentlemen, please switch your mobile phones to silent mode before tonight's performance begins.
Ladies and gentlemen — followed by a polite request
Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of this year's university scholarship is Amelia Chen from Taipei.
Ladies and gentlemen — announcing news to an audience
- ladies and gentlemen
- dear ladies and gentlemen
- good evening ladies and gentlemen
- everyone
informal and gender-neutral alternative
- dear guests
less common but also polite
Usage Note
Always appears as part of the fixed phrase 'Ladies and gentlemen' (gentlemen first in this order). It is used regardless of the actual gender mix of the audience and is the most formal and standard way to open a public address in English.
7. a title used in the United Kingdom for a woman of high social rank, or for the w
a title used in the United Kingdom for a woman of high social rank, or for the wife or daughter of a lord, a titled man, or a knight, placed before her first name
In Pride and Prejudice, Lady Catherine de Bourgh uses her noble title to demand respect from everyone around her.
Lady + full name — aristocratic title in literature
The charity ball was hosted by Lady Margaret at her family estate in the Scottish Highlands.
Lady Margaret — noble title before first name
In his history class, Ryo read that Lady Diana was admired worldwide for her work with landmine victims.
Lady Diana — widely known aristocratic title holder
At the awards ceremony in London, Vikram was introduced to Lady Helena, the charity's patron.
Lady Helena — British noble title used in formal introduction
- Lady Sarah
- Lady Diana
- Lady Catherine
- Lady Margaret
- lord
the male equivalent title
Usage Note
The title 'Lady' is followed by the person's first name (e.g. Lady Sarah), NOT by their surname alone ('Lady Smith' is incorrect unless a specific formal convention applies). For the husband, the equivalent is 'Lord'.
Common Mistakes
8. the name given to Mary, the woman who gave birth to Jesus Christ, used especiall
the name given to Mary, the woman who gave birth to Jesus Christ, used especially in Catholic and Anglican worship and always within the fixed expression 'Our Lady'
In the Catholic church, worshippers often light a candle and say a prayer to Our Lady for healing.
Our Lady — religious title for Mary
A beautiful painting of Our Lady hung above the altar in the small chapel.
painting of Our Lady — artistic depiction of the Virgin Mary
Every year thousands of pilgrims visit the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France.
Our Lady of Lourdes — Marian shrine
A statue of Our Lady stood in the hospital chapel with fresh flowers and candles at its base.
statue of Our Lady — devotional object
- Our Lady
- Our Lady of Lourdes
- Our Lady of Guadalupe
- shrine of Our Lady
- prayer to Our Lady
- Virgin Mary
the most common neutral reference
- Madonna
from Italian, used especially in art contexts
- Mother of God
doctrinal title emphasising Jesus's divinity
Usage Note
Always capitalised as 'Our Lady'. The phrase 'Our Lady of [place]' refers to the Virgin Mary according to a specific apparition or shrine location (e.g. Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Fatima). This is a proper noun and should not be altered.
Common Mistakes
first lady
idiomthe wife of the president or head of state of a country, or a woman who is the most famous or successful in a particular field
The first lady launched a new campaign to improve children's nutrition in schools.
She is considered the first lady of jazz for her incredible voice and stage presence.
leading lady
idiomthe actress who plays the most important female role in a film, play, or television show
The film's leading lady received a standing ovation at the premiere.
Samir auditioned for the director role, while Rin tried out for the leading lady.
ladies' man
idioma man who is very popular with women, often because he is charming, attractive, and confident around them
Uncle Cristiano has always been a bit of a ladies' man, always surrounded by admirers at parties.
The character he plays in the series is a smooth-talking ladies' man who never stays single for long.
lady luck
idiomthe imaginary force of good luck, often referred to as if it were a woman who can choose to smile on someone or not
Lady Luck was not on our side today — everything that could go wrong did.
He grinned and said he hoped Lady Luck would smile on him at the poker table.
lady of the house
idiomthe woman who is the head or main adult female in a household, often used to refer to the wife or mother in a family home
I should ask the lady of the house whether she minds us moving the furniture.
The lady of the house greeted each guest warmly at the front door.
A person who does not need to work for a living.
Since retiring, my uncle has become a gentleman of leisure.
She lives like a lady of leisure, spending her days at the spa.
Used to say that a situation is not finished and can still change.
The team is losing, but it's not over until the fat lady sings.
Don't give up on the election yet; it's not over until the fat lady sings.
Word family
- ladylikeadjectiveB2
- ladyshipnounC1
- ladybugnounA2
- ladybirdnounA2
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
Lady, woman, female, and girl all refer to adult human females, but carry very different tones. Woman is the neutral, modern, and most widely used term in everyday English — it is the safest choice in most contexts. Lady adds a layer of politeness or old-fashioned formality; calling someone 'a lady' when 'woman' would do can sound stiff or even condescending in casual conversation. Female is a biological or statistical term that sounds clinical when applied to a person ('a female doctor' is fine; 'a female in the room' is odd). Girl is for children or young adults, but when used for an adult woman it is often considered dismissive or patronising (except in established phrases like 'girls' night out'). Ma'am is a polite form of direct address (especially in American English) and is not used as a noun in the same way. In writing or speaking, choose woman for neutral reference, lady for deliberately courteous or old-fashioned tone, and avoid female as a standalone noun for a person.
Common collocations
Phrases
- young lady
- old lady
- ladies and gentlemen
- first lady
- lady of the house
- Our Lady
Prepositions
Etymology
Lady comes from the Old English word hlæfdige, which meant 'mistress of a household' — literally 'bread-kneader' (hlaf = loaf/bread + dige = kneader/maid). This reflects the central role of the woman in managing the household's food supply in early English society. Its counterpart, lord, comes from hlafweard (bread-keeper). Over time, hlæfdige narrowed from 'woman of the house' to 'woman of high social rank', and by the Middle English period it became the general polite term for any woman. The modern spelling lady was established by the 15th century.