# widowed

/ˈwɪdoʊd/ (US) · /wˈɪdəʊd/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/widowed
Updated: 2026-05-08

## Definition

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

For teachers: 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.

## Pitfalls

- Not "She is a widow woman" but "She is a widowed woman" — Learners often use the noun 'widow' as an adjective; 'widowed' is the correct adjective form to describe the person.

## Usage notes

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

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.