widowed
/'widoud/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- No longer married because one's spouse has died: Describes a person whose husband or wife has died and who has not remarried.
Usage
- The adjective "widowed" is used to describe a person's marital status resulting from the death of their spouse. It is typically used attributively (before a noun) or predicatively (after a linking verb like "be").
- It is a formal and neutral term. The related nouns are "widow" (for a woman) and "widower" (for a man).
Examples
- Attributive use (before a noun):
- She is a widowed mother of three.
- The program offers support for widowed individuals.
- Predicative use (after a linking verb):
- He has been widowed for five years.
- After her husband's passing, she was left widowed.
Advanced Usage
- "Newly widowed": Recently having become a widow or widower.
- The support group is for the newly widowed.
- Used in formal or statistical contexts to describe a group.
- The survey categorized respondents as single, married, divorced, or widowed.
Variants and Related Words
- Widow (noun): A woman whose spouse has died.
- Widower (noun): A man whose spouse has died.
- Widowhood (noun): The state or period of being a widow or widower.
Synonyms
- Bereaved: Suffering the loss of a loved one by death (a broader term that can include the loss of a spouse).
- Surviving spouse: A more legal or formal term for a person whose husband or wife has died.
Antonyms
- Married: Having a living spouse.
- Single: Not married (but not specifically due to death of a spouse).
Related Phrases
- To be widowed: The process of becoming a widow or widower.
- She was widowed at a young age.
- Widowed parent: A parent who is raising children after the death of their spouse.
- He struggled as a widowed parent.
Adjective
- single because of death of the spouse