[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/ladylike/)

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# ladylike

adjective

«ladylike» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Ladylike describes behaviour that people used to think was polite, quiet and proper for a woman or girl, such as sitting neatly and speaking softly. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/ladylike/#m1)
2. (often old-fashioned or critical) Saying something is "not ladylike" was used to stop girls running, shouting or getting dirty. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/ladylike/#m2)

### In the lessons

Met in older stories and in lessons on fairness and gender. It tells the reader what some people expected of girls; modern lessons point out these rules were unfair, and that good manners are for everyone. Phrases: «not very ladylike», «ladylike behaviour», «sit in a ladylike way».

### Examples

- Great-Aunt Edith said climbing trees wasn't ladylike. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/ladylike/#x1)
- She gave a very unladylike burp and laughed. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/ladylike/#x2)
- The girls in the old book were taught to be ladylike. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/ladylike/#x3)
- Maddie didn't care about being ladylike; she wanted to win. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/ladylike/#x4)
- Her grandmother had ladylike manners and a soft voice. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/ladylike/#x5)
- "That's not ladylike!" "Neither is it gentlemanly – it's just rude!" [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/ladylike/#x6)

### Note

Adjective, not an adverb, even though it ends in -like. Opposite: unladylike. The male word is gentlemanly. Trap: «ladylike» is often a judgement about girls; kindness and good manners matter the same for boys and girls.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «ladylike» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/ladylike/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«ladylike» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/ladylike.html) on Mova free.