actresses
SayAK-tris-iz/ˈæk.tɹɪs.ɪz/
- 1Plural of actress.
Several actresses were nominated for the same award this year.
The director praised both actresses for their convincing performances.
Note
The -ess ending already closes on a hissing sound, so the plural adds a full syllable, -es, rather than a bare -s. The form serves both meanings of the singular: women who perform on stage or screen and, in an archaic usage, women who do or carry out something in general. In modern writing it almost always means performers. The older "doer" reading belongs to older texts.
actresses is a form of actress
actress, noun: A woman who performs in plays, films, or other dramatic productions. Full entry
- Forms
- actressactresses plural
- Spelling
- actress → actresses: add -es
- Sound
- The ending sounds like /ɪz/, an extra syllable.
Use it in a sentence
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