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 lady at the front desk handed Dewi a key card and a welcome letter.
- gentleman
the male equivalent in polite address
用法筆記
In modern everyday English, woman is more common than lady for neutral reference. Lady can sound old-fashioned or overly formal in casual contexts.
常見錯誤
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.
Hana's grandmother showed her how to be a lady by always making guests feel welcome and comfortable.
- 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'
用法筆記
Describing someone as 'a lady' or 'a real lady' in this sense is a compliment about their manners and behaviour, not their social class.
常見錯誤
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.
In the 1960s the school board hired a lady principal for the elementary school, a rare choice at the time.
- woman
as in 'woman doctor' — still gender-marked but more neutral than 'lady'
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
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.
Look, lady, I was here before you, so please wait your turn like everyone else.
- ma'am
polite address; the opposite in tone
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
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.
Niran asked a waiter at the cafe where the ladies' was, and the man pointed toward the back hallway.
- 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
用法筆記
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'.
常見錯誤
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, the winner of this year's university scholarship is Amelia Chen from Taipei.
- everyone
informal and gender-neutral alternative
- dear guests
less common but also polite
用法筆記
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.
At the awards ceremony in London, Vikram was introduced to Lady Helena, the charity's patron.
- lord
the male equivalent title
用法筆記
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'.
常見錯誤
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.
A statue of Our Lady stood in the hospital chapel with fresh flowers and candles at its base.
- Virgin Mary
the most common neutral reference
- Madonna
from Italian, used especially in art contexts
- Mother of God
doctrinal title emphasising Jesus's divinity
用法筆記
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.