wax doll

A wax doll sits on a shelf in a quiet room.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A doll made of wax: A "wax doll" is a doll crafted from wax, often used as a toy or decorative item. Historically, wax dolls were popular in the 19th century and were known for their lifelike appearance.
   • A beautiful but unintelligent woman (figurative, informal): In a metaphorical sense, "wax doll" can refer to a woman who is physically attractive but lacks intelligence or mental sharpness. This usage is derived from the idea that wax is soft, pliable, and lacking substance, similar to a person who is superficially appealing but not clever.

Usage Examples

• Literal:

  • The antique shop sold a rare wax doll from the Victorian era. (A doll made of wax, used as a collectible or toy.)
  • Children in the 1800s often played with wax dolls, though they were fragile. (Historical toys made of wax.)

• Figurative:

  • She was a beautiful wax doll, admired for her looks but never for her ideas. (A woman who is attractive but not intelligent.)
  • Critics dismissed the actress as a wax doll, claiming she had no talent. (A person, especially a woman, seen as physically appealing but mentally vacant.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be a wax doll": to be perceived as having no depth or intellectual capacity.
  • He treated her like a wax doll, expecting her to just look pretty and stay quiet. (He regarded her as merely a decorative, unintelligent person.)

Variants and Related Words

• Waxen (adj): made of or resembling wax; pale or smooth.

  • Her waxen complexion made her look like a wax doll. (Pale and smooth, like wax.)

• Doll (n): a toy figure representing a human or animal, often used in play.

  • The child's favorite doll was made of cloth, not wax. (A general toy figure.)

Synonyms

• Mannequin: a model of a human figure, used for displaying clothes or in art; can also describe a person who is expressionless or lacking personality.
  • She stood like a mannequin, a wax doll in a shop window. (A lifeless, beautiful figure.)
• Airhead (informal): a person who is silly or unintelligent.
  • He called her a wax doll, implying she was an airhead. (A derogatory term for someone perceived as foolish.)

Related Idioms

• "A wax figure": a lifelike model made of wax, often used in museums; similar to "wax doll" in its literal sense.
  • Madame Tussauds is famous for its wax figures of celebrities. (Lifelike wax statues.)
• "Pretty but dumb": a phrase describing someone attractive but unintelligent, akin to the figurative meaning of "wax doll."
  • She was pretty but dumb, a real wax doll in social settings. (A person lacking wit despite good looks.)