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ladylike

/ˌleɪdiˈlaɪk/
IPA guide

Behavior that seems appropriate for a polite, civilized girl or woman is sometimes called ladylike. A little girl might be scolded for not having ladylike manners if she puts her feet up on the table at a fancy restaurant.

The adjective ladylike is an old-fashioned way to describe how a dignified or "proper" woman acts. Your grandmother might praise your best friend's ladylike demeanor, not knowing that in her spare time she drives a demolition derby car and is usually covered with mud. Before ladylike was first used in the sixteenth century, the equivalent adjective was ladily.

Definitions of ladylike
  1. adjective
    befitting a woman of good breeding
    ladylike manners”
    synonyms:
    refined
    (used of persons and their behavior) cultivated and genteel
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