When you think of the word "mistress", what comes to your mind?

Question

The dictionary gives two main definitions:
noun
1.
a woman in a position of authority or control.
"she is always mistress of the situation, coolly self-possessed"

2.
a woman (other than the man's wife) having a sexual relationship with a married man.
"Elsie knew her husband had a mistress tucked away somewhere"

What's the one you instinctively associate to the word?
Or you associate it with both?

Evil_Laughter · Accepted Answer

Distress, because I misread it as this at first...
Because they are pronounced differently despite being spelled nearly identically, that made me think of other pairs of words that do so, such as tear and wear and tear a rear, weight and height and eight, chaste and paste, bead and dead and read and read, etc...

But in line with what you were actually asking, I think of a caretaker, or a babysitter. I'm not sure why. I guess the phrase reminds me of old-timey ladies being the ones in charge, but because my database of old-timey scenarios involving this word is rather limited, I default to the few portrayals of this type of authority in women of that time I know of in the form of mothers or nannies being strict to the children under their care. I know it's not quite the real meaning, but some of the same aspects are there, so my brain says close enough I guess.

Interesting question. Made me think.

ZeussLightningBolt · Accepted Answer

A dominatrix

Ninjazzed · Accepted Answer

Probably the first option, as in a mistress of a household. Some people have filthy minds lol.

mistixs · Accepted Answer

What comes to my mind is a dominatrix

ElissaDido · Answer

If she knows the man is taken these are the words that come to mind : Whore, slut, no values, no morals, deserves to be shamed by society. In French maîtresse also means teacher (maître for a man).

SpacedCharr · Answer

Since I'm a kinkster, I go straight for the first definition: a woman of authority and control.

The second use of the word is becoming increasingly archaic. I refer to those kinds of women as "the person x cheated on y with".

Cuorisuo · Answer

At first I thought that mistress simply meant master but for female like how he is used for male and she is used for female.

But as I grew up I learnt another meaning of it from movies which indicated the second definition given in ur post above.

And then I learnt more about it from anime that I've watched that mistress meant the first definition given in ur post above.

So when I think of the word mistress what comes to my mind nowadays is a woman who is capable of " taking care " of herself and any man that comes to her also she's awesome unbeatable and goal oriented.

happyxzmeal · Answer

The first definition comes to mind when I think of the word "mistress". A mistress is a Dirty Diana, a woman who is very aware of the power that she holds and willing to use it to get where she wants to get, getting there by any means necessary. You can try forgetting about her or whatever, but you know at the end of the day she has power over you.

Kaneki05 · Answer

Ummm want is the first thing that popped up.

and to me mistress is a women who a guy or women is devoted and subservent too wether sexaul or not.
most queens and basically rulers would be mistresses.

JustSomeGuy11 · Answer

For me it depends on the context, however most of the time I would think number 2 with a dominatrix type thing in mind. Where the married man goes of to some kinky sex dungeon after work while the wife is at home with the kids.

pleasestopthis · Answer

The firt think I think of think is a cheap bitch with no empathy.

WalterRadio · Answer

Sugar baby. That is the modern term for a kept mistress (kept means kept up, as in living expenses are paid for), and is different than an affair where there is no financial aspect.

talloak · Answer

I take it in its context. It's usually very clear which is meant. It's significant that many terms for woman in authority have degraded into neutral or even degrading usage. Consider also "dame" and "lady". Even the honorific "Mrs." taken by itself, is no longer a term of respect as it is in other languages. For example, "I have to go home and help the Missus". The same sentence in other European languages refers to a married woman with authority, not a secondary person.

JacobRoto · Answer

As a switch, I like calling my girl mistress when I'm feeling sub, just as I like being called master when I'm feeling dom. The problem is that I also think about the common idea of it being for the "other" woman. It makes me feel self-conscious about using it.

Bee-Hatch · Answer

Personally I think if people in those 1950s black and white films.  I didn't realise that word was still in common use.

PerfectionistMe · Answer

Second meaning is first association. But it'd media's fault. In reality it should be first meaning, the boss, as the first association.

KrispyKrunch · Answer

Money and pure power to get things you want. -love a former mistress.. who fell in love and became a normal woman haha

Gedaria · Answer

Head of the house. That's where Mrs comes in when she gets married. Having a bit on the side , a mistress is just miss using the word...

Massageman · Answer

Either a female head of household (think Barbara Stanwyck in those old westerns), or a dominatrix.

AynonOMouse · Answer

When I hear that word I think of a woman dressed in black leather or vinyl holding a whip.

Dark93 · Answer

Neither... I think of bdsm stuff tbh. But out of your 2 options id associate it more with definition 2.

Snickermarstwix · Answer

A sexy school teacher I can have sex with. But it's because in French we use the same word for both

bannacookies · Answer

A young woman who cheers the old guy up, because his old wife's too... old.

Doccc1010 · Answer

A women who likes to control her man in many different ways

When you think of the word "mistress", what comes to your mind?

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