passée
Definition
Adjective:
- Past one's prime: "Passée" describes a woman who is considered to be beyond the age of youth, attractiveness, or marriageability, often implying a loss of romantic or social appeal.
Noun (feminine form of "passé"):
- An outdated or past-prime woman: In French loanword usage, "passée" can refer to a woman perceived as no longer young or desirable, though this term is now largely archaic or used in specific contexts like historical literature.
Usage Examples
Adjective:
- She was described as a passée beauty, no longer sought after by suitors. (A woman considered past her youthful attractiveness.)
- In Victorian novels, the passée spinster was a common character. (A woman past marriageable age.)
Noun:
- The phrase "une passée" was used to refer to a woman who had missed her chance for marriage. (An outdated woman in French social contexts.)
Advanced Usage
- "Passée belle": A French phrase meaning "a woman who was once beautiful but is now past her prime."
- The novel's protagonist was a passée belle, living in faded glory. (A once-attractive woman now aging.)
Variants and Related Words
Passé (adj, masculine): out of date or beyond one's prime (used for men or things).
- His ideas are passé, no longer relevant. (Outdated.)
Passer (v, French): to pass; not directly related but etymologically linked.
Synonyms
- Outdated: no longer current or fashionable.
- Over the hill (informal): past one's prime, especially in age.
- Past one's prime: having passed the period of greatest success or attractiveness.
Related Idioms
- "Past one's sell-by date": no longer useful or attractive (often used humorously).
- She felt like a passée actress, past her sell-by date in Hollywood. (No longer in demand.)
Cultural Note
This word is primarily used in English as a borrowed French term, often in literary or historical contexts. It may carry a negative or judgmental connotation and is less common in modern English, where terms like "aging" or "mature" are preferred.