# dried-fish woman

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/dried-fish-woman
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A woman, especially a young one, who lacks a significant other.

## Examples

- She is a dried-fish woman who enjoys her independence.
- My aunt often worries that my cousin is a dried-fish woman, but she is actually very happy living alone.
- Despite the societal pressure to marry young, she embraced her status as a dried-fish woman, finding fulfillment in her career and travels rather than a partner.

## Origin

Calque of Japanese 干物女 (himono-onna).

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.