What does songstress mean?
A songstress is a woman who sings, especially as a professional or public performer. Historically, the word was used broadly for female singers across classical, popular, folk, and theatrical music, but its use has declined as “singer” and “vocalist” became standard and gender-neutral alternatives. In present-day English, “songstress” often has a nostalgic or slightly theatrical quality and may suggest a performer of an earlier era, although context can make it sound celebratory or simply old-fashioned. It can still be effective when referring to a female singer in biographical writing or discussing historical music, but it would usually be an unusual choice in neutral contemporary speech. The word belongs to the family of gender-marked occupational terms such as “songster” and was formed from “song” with a feminine suffix.
nounA woman who sings, especially one who performs publicly or professionally. The term is now often considered old-fashioned and gendered.
- A woman who sings, especially as a professional or public performer.
"The songstress opened the concert with a traditional folk melody."
"The young songstress performed an original song written for the festival."
"In her memoirs, the former songstress recalled touring with some of the century's best jazz bands."
The regular plural adds “-es” to the final syllable.
"Several songstresses from the early twentieth century are featured in the documentary."
Once a common label for a female singer, “songstress” now sounds like a deliberate throwback to an age when performers were routinely identified by gender.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does songstress come from?
The word combines the English word “song” with the occupational suffix “-stress,” a feminine form of the related suffix “-ster.” Such gender-marked formations were common in older English for performers and professionals. The underlying musical vocabulary is Germanic in origin, with “song” continuing the sense of a poetic composition set to music.
How songstress is actually used
The word is dated in contemporary usage and is usually neutral in meaning, though it can sound formal, nostalgic, or theatrical. “Singer” or “vocalist” is normally preferred today.
Easily confused with songstress
A songstress is a female singer, whereas a songster is a male singer or, traditionally, someone who composes or performs songs.