ANCESTRESS Synonyms: 31 Similar and Opposite Words

ancestress

noun

Definition of ancestress

as in grandmother

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of ancestress Yang Asha is the mythical ancestress of the Miao people, an ethnic minority in China closely related to the Hmong of Southeast Asia. — Keith Bradsher, New York Times, 26 Nov. 2020 His own mother, aged ninety, who remembered her aunt, had been able to share stories of their ancestress with the grandchildren who’d had no idea, before now, what their background might be. — Susan Choi, Harper's magazine, 6 Jan. 2020 Enshrined at Kashikodokoro is the sun goddess Amaterasu, the mythological ancestress of Japan’s emperors. — Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2019 Enshrined at Kashikodokoro is the sun goddess Amaterasu, the mythological ancestress of Japan's emperors. — NBC News, 22 Oct. 2019 Instead of being a reticulated mesh the genealogy of mtDNA is a clean and inverted elegant tree leading back to a common ancestress. — Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 17 Nov. 2010

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestress

Noun

But there is something else tied to his Jewish heritage that keeps things in perspective — the struggles his grandmother went through escaping liquidation at the hand of the Nazis in her Polish hometown.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
The 20-year-old lost her mother, sister and grandmother – along with other relatives including a one-month old nephew.

— Bhadra Sharma, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of grandmother

Noun

After Davis’ single appearance, Anne Baxter would step in as the matriarch of the series (as a new character), an ironic echo of Baxter’s Eve ambitiously attempting to usurp Davis’ Margo in the classic All About Eve.

— Rance Collins, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Aug. 2026
In Leanne, the eponymous Southern matriarch is faced with starting over when her husband of 33 years leaves her for another woman.

— Glenn Garner, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of matriarch

Noun

Its rise also marks the beginning of the Hindu celebration of Pitru Paksha, during which worshippers perform rites to honor ancestors by offering prayers and food to past members of their families.

— Anthony Wood, Space.com, 31 Aug. 2026
While Qingming focuses primarily on one’s own ancestors, the Hungry Ghost Festival extends offerings to wandering spirits and the unclaimed dead.

— ABC News, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of ancestor

Noun

Through our hair and its many rituals, remain the herbalism of our foremothers in the new world, passing down their ingenuity of homemade balms, creams, and oils for hair growth.

— Eshe Ukweli, refinery29.com, 7 June 2023
In fact, precursors to modern bleaching processes didn’t come on the scene until the turn of the 20th century, leaving our foremothers and forefathers plenty of time to get creative with their blonde pursuits.

— AJ Willingham, CNN, 28 May 2023

Definition of foremother

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“Ancestress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestress. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of ancestress

noun

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