Negligee is a women's undergarment characterized by a sheer, lacy, or silky fabric worn as intimate apparel. Traditionally worn for allure or sleepwear, it is typically a lightweight, often knee- or floor-length garment with delicate detailing. The term can also refer to a similar garment styled as lingerie rather than outerwear.
"She wore a satin negligee to the anniversary dinner."
"The boutique showcased a variety of negligees in lace and chiffon."
"She slipped into a satin negligee before the evening began."
"At the late-night sale, she admired a sheer negligee with intricate embroidery."
Negligee comes from the French negligée, meaning “neglect” or “careless.” The noun was borrowed into English in the 18th–19th centuries as fashion terminology, with the accent shift likely influenced by the French pronunciation ne-glee-AY. The core element néglígée in French refers to a neglectable garment and later adopted in English to denote a light, sensual nightwear. Early usage in English texts centers on refined, intimate apparel and flirtatious fashion, often spelled negligee with silent e-influences that preserve the French pluralizations. Over time, English speakers anglicized the pronunciation, producing /ˈnɛɡliˌʒeɪ/ in US and /ˌnɛɡlɪˈʒeɪ/ variations. The term also entered popular culture via cinema and fashion journalism in the 20th century, reinforcing its association with feminine lingerie that balances allure and comfort. First documented English appearances appear in period fashion catalogs and romance-literature descriptions, with the modern pronunciation stabilized by media usage and dictionary standardization in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
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Words that rhyme with "Negligee"
-ige sounds
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Pronounce as nég-li-ʒée with primary stress on the first syllable. IPA variants: US /ˈnɛɡ.liˌʒeɪ/; UK /ˈneɡ.liːˌʒeɪ/; AU /ˈneɡ.lɪˌdʒeɪ/. Start with /n/ then /ɛ/ as in ‘net’, follow with /ɡ/ and a light /l/; the middle syllable houses /li/ or /lɪ/, and finish with /ʒeɪ/ as in “zhay.” Mouth positions: tip of tongue near alveolar ridge for /n/ and /l/, rebound to the back of the mouth for /ɡ/ and the /ʒ/; lips lightly rounded into /eɪ/.
Two frequent errors: 1) Misplacing stress, saying ne-GLEE-jee or ne-GLEHZH-ee; keep primary stress on the first syllable: /ˈnɛɡ.li/ and secondary on the final /ʒeɪ/. 2) Mixing the final /ʒeɪ/ with /ɡiː/ or /dʒiː/ leading to nég-luh-JEE instead of ne-glee-ZHAY. To correct, practice the glide /ʒeɪ/ as a single sound, not a sequence of /dʒ/ + /eɪ/.
US typically /ˈnɛɡ.liˌʒeɪ/ with clear /ɡ/ and a stiffer /eɪ/. UK often favors a slightly longer /iː/ in the second syllable, giving /ˈneɡ.liːˌʒeɪ/ with less rhoticity influence on the /ɡ/ and a crisper /ʒ/. Australian English tends toward /ˈneɡ.lɪˌdʒeɪ/ with a shorter second vowel and a more clipped /dʒ/ onset in the final consonant cluster. Remember /ʒ/ is the “measure” sound, not /ʃ/.
The difficulty centers on two points: a) final /ʒeɪ/ diphthong, which is less common in many languages and can morph to /dʒeɪ/ if not careful; b) the /ɡlɪ/ cluster in the middle, where /ɡ/ quickly followed by /l/ can blur if the tongue doesn’t switch positions smoothly. Practice the middle consonant cluster slowly, then attach the final /ʒeɪ/ with a steady glide, ensuring the final sound remains voiced.
Nég·li·gee is a common misreading; the correct ending is the French-inspired /ʒeɪ/ rather than /jiː/ or /dʒiː/. The final syllable carries a smooth, voiced palato-alveolar fricative /ʒ/ followed by a close-mid to mid-front diphthong /eɪ/. Keep the /j/ glide integrated into /eɪ/ without inserting a separate consonant sound.
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