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Widow vs. Widower

Widow

/ˈwɪdəʊ/

A woman whose husband has died and who has not remarried.

Examples:

'And we are both widows too!' said Barbara's mother.Widowed mother, perhaps?' Nicholas sighed.'That is true,' the widow said.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Widower

/ˈwɪdəʊə/

A man whose wife has died and who has not remarried.

Examples:

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Ways to tell them apart:

A widow is a woman who has lost her spouse by death.
A widower is a man who has lost his spouse by death.
Both terms refer to someone who has lost a partner, but gender differentiates them.
O in widow suggests the letter looks like a ring (weddings), often associated with women.
E in widower stands for man as in hE.

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