ENGLISH
REFERENCE

widowed

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈwɪdoʊd// UK //wˈɪdəʊd// wid·owed

adj. describing a person whose husband or wife has died and who has not married again.

adj. having lost a spouse through death and not subsequently remarried. Often used as a participial adjective following a linking verb or preceding a noun.


SIMPLE

The widowed woman lives in a small house by the sea.

CONTEXTUAL

After her husband passed away last winter, she found comfort in a local support group for widowed residents.

COMPLEX

The novel explores the quiet dignity of a widowed professor who spends his retirement years cataloging the extensive library he and his late wife built together.

Synonyms
Usage

Often follows linking verbs like 'be', 'become', or 'remain'.

Pitfall

She is a widow womanShe is a widowed womanLearners often use the noun 'widow' as an adjective; 'widowed' is the correct adjective form to describe the person.

© 2026 English Reference