domestic goddess

Meanings

1. 1nouncountableinformalhumorous

   A woman who is exceptionally skilled and confident at cooking, cleaning and running a household.

   Grammar: Often used with an or as a compliment or joke: she's a real domestic goddess.

   Patterns

   • be a domestic goddess
   • play the domestic goddess

   My aunt is a domestic goddess who bakes her own bread every week.

   She spent the weekend playing the domestic goddess and cooking for twenty people.

   I am no domestic goddess, so I buy my cakes from the bakery.

2. 2nouncountableinformal

   A person who takes pleasure in a stylish, well-run home and makes it look effortless, sometimes portrayed in the media.

   Grammar: Can describe a public image: the magazine's domestic goddess.

   Patterns

   • the image of a domestic goddess

   The television chef built her image as a domestic goddess.

   Her blog presents her as a perfect domestic goddess.

   He joked that his wife had become a domestic goddess since retiring.

Word forms

Common combinations

a true domestic goddess

My grandmother was a true domestic goddess.

play the domestic goddess

She played the domestic goddess at the dinner party.

far from a domestic goddess

I'm far from a domestic goddess.

aspiring domestic goddess

The cookbook is aimed at aspiring domestic goddesses.

become a domestic goddess

Lockdown turned her into a domestic goddess.

Synonyms and how they differ

homemaker

Homemaker is neutral and describes someone who looks after a home, without the admiring joke.

housewife

Housewife is more old-fashioned and describes a role, not exceptional skill.

home cook

Home cook refers only to cooking and does not suggest running a whole household.

Word family

domestic adjective

relating to the home or household

domesticity noun

home life and household activities

goddess noun

a female god, or a woman admired for something

domesticated adjective

used to home life, or tamed

Commonly confused: domestic goddess or domestic violence?

Practice

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