maid
gb/mˈeɪd/ us/mˈeɪd/
A2
English
~ 2100
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
female household worker
A woman who works in someone’s home to clean, cook, or take care of it.
Usage pattern:
[someone] works as a maid
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'maid' with 'made', which is the past tense of 'make'. Also, some learners may not realize 'maid' usually refers to a female worker.
Synonyms
housekeeper (Often broader and may include managing the household, not just cleaning.)
|
domestic worker (More formal and gender-neutral term for someone doing household work.)
Antonyms
employer (The person who hires and pays the maid; opposite role in employment.)
Collocations
hotel maid
|cleaning maid
|maid service
|live-in maid
|house maid
Themes
daily life
|employment
|home
|daily_life
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The hotel maid changed the sheets every morning.
- They hired a maid to help with the cleaning.
- Her family could not afford a live-in maid.
- The maid polished the silverware before dinner.
- As a maid, she worked long hours for little pay.
Learner examples
- The maid cleans the house.
- A maid works in a hotel.
- We have a maid who comes once a week.
- The maid washes the floor.
- She is a maid in that big house.
Noun
literary
B2
entity
2
young unmarried woman
A young woman who has not married, used mainly in old stories or poems.
Common mistake:
Learners may think this meaning is common in modern speech, but it is mostly used in literature or historical contexts.
Synonyms
maiden (A more common literary synonym for an unmarried young woman.)
Antonyms
wife (A married woman; opposite marital status.)
Collocations
fair maid
|village maid
Themes
relationships
|literature
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The fair maid waited for her true love by the shore.
- In the ballad, the maid is rescued by a knight.
- He wrote a poem about a village maid.
Learner examples
- The story is about a young maid.
- A knight loves the maid.
- The maid lives in the village.
Grammar
Dictionary form
maid
IPA
GB/mˈeɪd/
US/mˈeɪd/
Syllables & stress
maid (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (maid)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: maid
- Plural: maids
Word family
Forms
maids
noun
Related words
housemaid
noun
chambermaid
noun
Advanced or less common
maidservant
noun
maiden
noun B2
Expressions
maid of honor
1/mˈeɪd əv ˈɑnɚ/
fixed phrase
chief bridesmaid at wedding
The main bridesmaid who helps the bride at her wedding.
Examples
- Her sister was the maid of honor at the ceremony.
- As maid of honor, she organized the bridal shower.
maid service
1/mˈeɪd sˈɚvɪs/
fixed phrase
cleaning service by maids
A service where maids clean rooms or homes, often in hotels.
Examples
- Our hotel offers daily maid service.
- We pay extra for weekly maid service at our apartment.
old maid
1/ˈoʊld mˈeɪd/
fixed phrase
informal
unmarried older woman
An older woman who has never married, often used in an outdated or unkind way.
Examples
- She feared becoming an old maid if she didn’t marry soon.
- The term 'old maid' is considered rude today.