stepmother
gb/stˈɛpmˌʌðɚ/ us/stˈɛpmˌʌðɚ/
B1
Inglés
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Sustantivo
B1
role
1
a parent's wife, not your mother
Your stepmother is your parent's wife, but she is not your mother.
Patrón de uso:
[someone]'s stepmother
Error frecuente:
Do not confuse stepmother (your parent's wife) with mother-in-law (your spouse's mother). A stepmother can become a stepmother through divorce and remarriage, not only after a death.
Sinónimos
step-parent (Gender-neutral term; can refer to a stepmother or a stepfather.)
|
father's wife (Descriptive phrase; does not always imply a family role.)
Antónimos
mother (A person's female parent (often biological or adoptive), not related by remarriage.)
|
birth mother (Specifically the biological mother.)
Colocaciones
my stepmother
|his stepmother
|her stepmother
|meet my stepmother
|live with a stepmother
|a new stepmother
|a supportive stepmother
|a strict stepmother
|stepmother and stepdaughter
|stepmother and stepson
Temas
family
|relationships
|daily_life
Ejemplos
- After her dad remarried, Maya moved in with her stepmother.
- He gets along well with his stepmother, even though they met when he was already a teenager.
- My stepmother helped plan the graduation party.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- My stepmother is very kind.
- His stepmother lives with his father.
Sustantivo
literary
C1
role
2
a neglectful or harsh authority figure
A 'stepmother' can mean something that does not treat you well or care for you.
Patrón de uso:
a stepmother to [someone]/[something]
Error frecuente:
This figurative use is not about family; it is a comparison and is less common than the literal meaning.
Sinónimos
neglectful guardian (More direct; does not use the family metaphor.)
|
cold patron (Emphasizes lack of warmth or support.)
Antónimos
benefactor (Someone or something that helps and supports.)
|
protector (Emphasizes active care and defense.)
Colocaciones
a stepmother to its citizens
|a stepmother to the poor
|treated as a stepmother
|a stepmother rather than a mother
Temas
society
|emotions
|politics
Ejemplos
- For years, the region felt the capital was a stepmother, offering little help in return for high taxes.
- Many artists complained that the city was a stepmother to local culture.
- In his speech, he said the system had become a stepmother to working families.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- Some people say the government is a stepmother to the poor.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
stepmother
AFI
GB/stˈɛpmˌʌðɚ/
US/stˈɛpmˌʌðɚ/
Sílabas y acento
step - moth - er (3 sílabas)
Stress on 1st syllable (step)
Formas de la palabra
Noun
- Base: stepmother
- Plural: stepmothers
Expresiones
stepmother from hell
1/stˈɛpmˌʌðɚ fɹˈʌm hˈɛl/
fixed phrase
informal
extremely unpleasant stepmother
A 'stepmother from hell' is a very bad stepmother (informal).
Ejemplos
- He complained that his stepmother was a stepmother from hell, always looking for reasons to punish him.
- The tabloid described her as the stepmother from hell, but the family denied the claims.
- In the comedy, she tries hard not to be the stepmother from hell.
wicked stepmother
1/wˈɪkɪd stˈɛpmˌʌðɚ/
fixed phrase
cruel stepmother figure
A stepmother in stories or in life who is very unkind and unfair to her partner's children.
Ejemplos
- Many fairy tales include a wicked stepmother who hates the children.
- She joked that she did not want to be a wicked stepmother to her partner's kids.
- The film avoids the old idea of the wicked stepmother and shows a loving blended family instead.
wicked stepmother
1/wˈɪkɪd stˈɛpmˌʌðɚ/
fixed phrase
cruel stepmother in stories
A 'wicked stepmother' is a cruel stepmother in a story.
Ejemplos
- In the fairy tale, the wicked stepmother makes Cinderella do all the housework.
- The movie plays with the wicked stepmother stereotype and then surprises you.
- She joked that she wasn't a wicked stepmother, just a strict one.