Word
widowed
Phoneticswid·owed
US/ˈwɪdoʊd/
UK/wˈɪdəʊd/
Definition
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.
Examples
“The widowed woman lives in a small house by the sea.”
“After her husband passed away last winter, she found comfort in a local support group for widowed residents.”
“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.”
Examples
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.”
Usage
Often follows linking verbs like 'be', 'become', or 'remain'.
Pitfall
She is a widow woman
She is a widowed woman
Learners often use the noun 'widow' as an adjective; 'widowed' is the correct adjective form to describe the person.
Real-World Examples
“In Malaysia, urgent flood warnings bring 18-year-old Leila back to Sarawak, where she must help her widowed mother protect the family home.” Scan code
englishreference.com/q/widowed