Widowed
ˈwɪdoʊd
Definitions
2 meaningsHaving lost one's spouse by death.
ˈwɪdoʊd
Having lost one's spouse by death and not remarried.
After John's wife passed away, he became a widowed man.
💡 Simply: It means you're married, but your partner died, and you haven't gotten married again. Like, if your husband was a superhero and got zapped, you'd be widowed.
👶 For kids: When your mom or dad's husband or wife died and they didn't get married again.
More Examples
The widowed mother struggled to raise her children alone.
She was a young woman when she was widowed.
How It's Used
"She is a widowed woman."
"The widowed spouse is entitled to survivor benefits."
To make a person a widow or widower.
ˈwɪdoʊd
To cause someone to become a widow or widower.
The accident widowed many families.
💡 Simply: To make someone a widow or widower. Think a tragic event that causes them.
👶 For kids: To make someone a widow or widower, it means their wife or husband dies.
More Examples
The disease widowed him at a young age.
The war widowed many women.
How It's Used
"The war widowed thousands of women."
From Middle English *widewed*, past participle of *widewen* 'to widow', from Old English *widowian* (verb), from *widuwe* 'widow' (related to Latin *vidua* and Sanskrit *vidhava*).
The term has been used for centuries, tracing back to Old English, with its meaning remaining relatively consistent.
Memory tip
Think of a 'widow' and the 'ed' ending shows the state that resulted from the death of the spouse.