ladylike

ladylike — adjective

1. describing behavior, appearance, or manners that follow older, traditional expec

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describing behavior, appearance, or manners that follow older, traditional expectations of how a woman should act — with politeness, quietness, and a calm sense of dignity.

Example

Aoi's grandmother taught her a ladylike posture — back straight, hands folded.

collocation: ladylike posture / ladylike manners

The old etiquette manual described ladylike conduct as speaking softly and never interrupting others.

subject: etiquette manual + describing ladylike conduct

Common collocations
  • ladylike behavior
  • ladylike manners
  • ladylike dress
  • ladylike posture
  • ladylike way
  • find (something) ladylike
  • consider (somebody) ladylike
Synonyms
  • refined

    focuses on cultured elegance without the gender-specific expectation that ladylike carries

  • graceful

    emphasizes physical poise and ease of movement; applies to anyone, not just women

  • dignified

    stresses calm, serious self-respect; usable for any gender or situation

  • elegant

    highlights stylish, tasteful appearance or manners; broader and more modern than ladylike

Antonyms
  • unladylike

    direct opposite, but carries the same old-fashioned gender assumptions

Grammar Patterns

ladylike + noun

be + ladylike

find + object + ladylike

consider + object + ladylike

Usage Note

This word is tied to older, traditional ideas about how women should behave. In modern English, calling a woman or girl 'ladylike' — or telling her that something is 'not ladylike' — can sound old-fashioned or sexist. It is less likely to cause offense when applied to one's own preferences ('She likes ladylike clothing') than when used to judge or correct someone else's behavior. Younger speakers in particular often use the word with irony or avoid it altogether.

Common Mistakes

Don't laugh so loudly — it's not ladylike.
Please keep your voice down a little
we're in a library.' — using 'ladylike' to criticize behavior imposes a gendered standard that can feel unfair; it is better to give a neutral, gender-free reason.

Word family

  • lady
    nounA1
  • ladylikeness
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five words describe positive social conduct or appearance, but ladylike is the only one tied to gender-specific expectations. Refined suggests cultured good taste developed through upbringing or education; a refined person follows social codes with ease, whether male or female. Graceful emphasizes physical smoothness and ease — a dancer is graceful, a speaker can be graceful too. Dignified stresses calm self-respect and seriousness; someone facing bad news with composure is dignified. Elegant focuses on stylishness and taste, especially in dress and surroundings. Ladylike is the narrowest: it explicitly links politeness, quietness, and proper conduct to being a woman, which many modern speakers find restrictive. For example, you can call any dancer graceful, but calling a young woman ladylike might earn a frown from her friends.

ladylike ↗refined ↗graceful ↗dignifiedelegant ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in a ladylike way
  • in a ladylike manner
  • regard as ladylike
  • consider ladylike

Etymology

Englishlady + -like

Formed by combining 'lady' with the suffix '-like', following the pattern of the older word 'gentlemanlike'. First recorded in English around the 16th century, the word at first simply meant 'like a lady' or 'befitting a lady'. During the Victorian era (1800s), when strict codes of conduct for women became widely promoted, the meaning narrowed to refer specifically to polite, quiet, and graceful behavior expected of women.