Widow-Widower | Commonly Confused Words
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Widow vs. Widower

Widow

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

Examples:

She became a widow last year.The widow lived alone in a small village.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Widower

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

Examples:

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Ways to tell them apart:

etymology
  • 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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