damsel in distress
[ dam-zuhl in di-stres ]
/ ˈdæm zəl ɪn dɪˈstrɛs /
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noun
a person, usually a young woman, who needs to be rescued from danger or trouble of some kind: This plumber is worth his weight in gold, and I would like to thank him for going out of his way to help this damsel in distress.
Sometimes Damsel in Distress . a trope or narrative device in movies, books, games, etc., portraying a female character as a victim in need of rescue: It has an exotic locale, the classic battle of man against nature, and, of course, a damsel in distress.
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Origin of damsel in distress
First recorded in 1690–1700
Words nearby damsel in distress
Damrosch, damsel, damsel bug, damselfish, damselfly, damsel in distress, damson, damson cheese, damyankee, dan, Dana
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use damsel in distress in a sentence
Does the final in the Twilight series or the latest adaptation of the Tolstoy classic handle the damsel-in-distress theme better?
Damsels in Distress Debate: The New ‘Twilight Saga’ vs. ‘Anna Karenina’|Anna Klassen, Marlow Stern|November 17, 2012|DAILY BEASTIndeed, the damsel-in-distress paradigm is key in many pedal-pumping vids.
This ain't any damsel-in-distress business, like Skinny is going to do.
The Boy Scouts of Bob's Hill|Charles Pierce Burton