Damsel In Distress Definition & Meaning

Definition

Etymology

Examples

damsel in distress American [dam-zuhl in di-stres] / ˈdæm zəl ɪn dɪˈstrɛs /

noun

1. 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.

2. 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.

Etymology

Origin of damsel in distress

First recorded in 1690–1700

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

As he leaps over barrels to try to rescue a damsel in distress from the villainous Kong, his arms and legs do a sort of split in the air; it makes him look happy, even joyous.

From The Wall Street Journal

Tough where her husband is soft, jaded where he is open-minded, Zoë initially thinks Sarah‘s case is a waste of time — she wants Joe to focus on collecting all the fees he has let slide instead of haring off to aid another “damsel in distress.”

From Los Angeles Times

See recent attempts by Disney to broaden the scope of its Marvel and Star Wars franchises, or Nintendo this month transforming its popular damsel in distress Princess Zelda into a hero.

From Los Angeles Times

“Taylor often played the part of a damsel in distress or an overlooked romantic interest using theatrical costuming,” writes Sarah Chapelle in “Taylor Swift Style” — out Oct.

From Los Angeles Times

Her performance adds an additional layer of mystery in that it is never quite clear whether she is a manipulative femme fatale, a damsel in distress or a woman just trying to figure herself out.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.