also: やさめ · ゆうじょ
noun
gentle woman; affectionate woman
Describes a woman who is kind, tender, and caring in nature. The reading is typically やさおんな, with やさめ being a rare variant.
彼女は本当に優女で、誰にでも親切だ。
She is truly a gentle woman, kind to everyone.
noun
beautiful graceful woman
Only with reading ゆうじょ
Restricted to the reading ゆうじょ. This sense is rare and carries a literary or archaic flavor, emphasizing elegance and beauty rather than just gentleness.
In classical literature, elegant women called ゆうじょ appear.
The kanji 優 means 'gentle' or 'superior', and 女 means 'woman'. The reading やさおんな combines the native Japanese reading of 優 (やさ) with 女 (おんな). The reading ゆうじょ uses the on'yomi of both characters and is rare, possibly influenced by classical Chinese or literary usage.