Denise

IPA/dənˈiːs/
KK[dɪnˈis]IPA/dɪnˈiːs/

Denise — noun

1. A female given name of French origin, used widely in English-speaking countries

1.noun
Definition

A female given name of French origin, used widely in English-speaking countries since the mid-20th century.

Example

Denise was the first person I met when I joined the book club.

Aunt Denise taught Reema how to make lemon tarts from scratch.

common pattern: title + Denise for relatives

Common collocations
  • Aunt Denise
  • my friend Denise
  • Denise said that…

Grammar Patterns

Denise + third-person singular verb

Usage Note

Denise is typically pronounced /dəˈniːz/ in American English and /dəˈniːs/ in British English. As a proper noun, it takes third-person singular verb forms: 'Denise works' not 'Denise work'.

Common Mistakes

Denise are coming to the party.
Denise is coming to the party.
Proper nouns always take third-person singular verb agreement.
My friend Denise she likes jazz.
My friend Denise likes jazz.
Do not add a subject pronoun after the name (no double subject).

Word family

  • Denis
    noun
  • Dennis
    noun

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

Denise is the feminine form of Denis (also spelled Dennis), which comes from the French name Denis. The name Denis traces back to Latin Dionysius, and further back to Greek Dionysios, meaning 'of Dionysus' — the ancient Greek god of wine, theatre, and celebration. The female form Denise became common in English-speaking countries during the mid-1900s.