queen
gb/kwˈin/ us/kwˈin/
A2
English
~ 2100
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
female ruler of a kingdom
A woman who rules a country that is called a kingdom.
Usage pattern:
[queen] of [country]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'queen' with 'princess'. A princess is not the ruler unless she becomes queen.
Synonyms
monarch (Gender-neutral term for a sovereign ruler.)
Antonyms
king (Male equivalent of a queen as monarch.)
Collocations
queen of England
|reigning queen
|queen's reign
|queen and king
Themes
politics
|history
Examples
- Queen Elizabeth II served as the monarch of the United Kingdom for decades.
- The queen addressed the nation during the crisis.
- She became queen after her father's death.
Learner examples
- The queen lives in the palace.
- The queen is the leader of the country.
- The queen met the people in the city.
Noun
A2
entity
2
wife of a king
The wife of a king.
Usage pattern:
[queen] [name]
Synonyms
queen consort (Formal term for a queen who is the wife of a reigning king.)
Antonyms
king (Male ruler; opposite in gender role to queen as wife of king.)
Collocations
queen consort
|king and queen
|the young queen
Themes
politics
|royalty
|relationships
Examples
- The queen accompanied the king to the ceremony.
- As queen, she supported many charities.
- The young queen was loved by her people.
Learner examples
- The queen stood next to the king.
- The king and queen visited the school.
- The queen wore a red dress.
Noun
B1
entity
3
most important woman in group
A woman who is the best or most important in some area.
Usage pattern:
[queen] of [activity/group]
Synonyms
leader (General term for someone in charge or most important; not limited to women.)
Antonyms
underdog (Someone with little power or influence compared to others.)
Collocations
beauty queen
|drama queen
|queen of pop
Themes
daily life
|culture
|relationships
|work
Examples
- She’s known as the queen of fashion.
- Beyoncé is often called the queen of pop.
- In high school, she was the queen of drama club.
Learner examples
- She is the queen of cooking at home.
- He calls her the queen of music.
- She is the queen of our team.
Noun
B1
entity
4
reproductive female in insect colony
The main female insect in a group that lays all the eggs.
Synonyms
queen bee (Specifically refers to the reproductive bee in a hive.)
Antonyms
worker bee (Non-reproductive female bees in a hive.)
Collocations
queen bee
|queen ant
Themes
science
|nature
|animals
Examples
- The queen bee can lay thousands of eggs each day.
- Without a queen ant, the colony will die.
- Beekeepers protect the queen to ensure the hive survives.
Learner examples
- The queen bee lives in the hive.
- The queen ant makes many eggs.
- The bees need their queen to live.
Noun
A2
entity
5
playing card with rank Q
A card with a picture of a woman ruler, between jack and king in value.
Synonyms
face card (General term for cards with pictures; includes kings and jacks as well.)
Antonyms
ace (A different rank of playing card, often highest or lowest value.)
Collocations
queen of hearts
|draw a queen
Themes
games
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- He played the queen of spades to win the trick.
- I have three queens in my hand.
- She drew a queen from the deck.
Learner examples
- I have the queen of hearts.
- He plays the queen of clubs.
- She picks up a queen.
Noun
B1
entity
6
chess piece with most power
In chess, the piece that can move anywhere in straight or diagonal lines and is very strong.
Synonyms
chess piece (General term for any piece used in chess; not specific to its role.)
Antonyms
pawn (The weakest piece in chess; opposite in power to the queen.)
Collocations
promote to a queen
|queen sacrifice
Themes
games
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- He promoted his pawn to a queen.
- Losing your queen early can be disastrous.
- She used her queen to checkmate him.
Learner examples
- I move my queen across the board.
- He takes my queen.
- She gets a new queen from her pawn.
Grammar
Dictionary form
queen
IPA
GB/kwˈin/
US/kwˈin/
Syllables & stress
queen (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (queen)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: queen
- Plural: queens
Word family
Expressions
drag queen
1/dɹˈæɡ kwˈin/
fixed phrase
male performer dressed as woman for show
A man who dresses like an exaggerated woman for fun or performance, often on stage.
Examples
- The drag queens put on an amazing show last night.
- He became famous as a drag queen performer.
drama queen
1/dɹˈɑmə kwˈin/
idiom
informal
person who overreacts emotionally
Someone who behaves as if small problems are very big and acts with too much emotion.
Examples
- Stop being such a drama queen—it’s just a scratch!
- He’s such a drama queen about everything at work.
queen of hearts
1/kwˈin əv hˈɑɹts/
fixed phrase
'Q' card in hearts suit or affectionate nickname for loving person
'Queen of hearts' can mean a card from hearts suit with letter Q, or it can be used as a sweet name for someone very kind and loving.
Examples
- I played the queen of hearts to win the hand.
- People call her the Queen of Hearts because she helps everyone.
queen bee
1/kwˈin bˈi/
idiom
informal
most powerful or popular woman
A girl or woman who is the most powerful or popular person in a group, especially socially.
Examples
- In high school she was the queen bee of the cheerleading squad.
- The office queen bee didn't like any new women joining the team.
- That movie is about a queen bee who learns to be kinder to other students.
queen bee
2/kwˈin bˈi/
idiom
dominant female leader socially
A woman who has power over others in her group or workplace and likes being in control.
Examples
- She acts like the queen bee in our office.
- In high school, she was definitely the queen bee.