widow

noun

Definition of widownext
as in wife

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of widow Across from Wallace sat Coretta Scott King, the Reverend’s widow. — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026 Six months after Vincent’s suicide, Theo died from the ravages of syphilis, leaving Jo a young widow with a baby to support, not much money, and an unusual inheritance—Vincent’s paintings—more than 400 in total. — Joan Martelli, Time, 17 Oct. 2026 Among them was a 61-year-old woman tipped out of her canoe by an alligator in 2025 and an 85-year-old widow who was dragged out of her backyard by an alligator while walking her dog in 2023. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026 In it, a young woman moves to a mansion on the coast of Cornwall haunted by the ghost of her new husband’s widow. — Rebekah Faubion, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for widow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for widow
  1. wife
  2. spouse
  3. madam
Noun
  • Smallwood attacks Nick’s virility, saying he’ll be publicly humiliated when his wife has to bail him out again in court.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
  • In 2008, Holmes was arrested in Coral Gables on a domestic battery charge related to his ex-wife; the case was later dismissed.
    — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of wife
Noun
  • Holden Karnofsky, the spouse of Daniela Amodei, has worked at Anthropic since January 2025, receiving just over $430,000 in total compensation, excluding options and restricted stock units.
    — Ashley Capoot,Jordan Novet,Annie Palmer,Lora Kolodny,Kai Nicol-Schwarz,Caleigh Keating, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Buffett’s view is supported by research that shows that people with supportive spouses tend to take on more rewarding challenges throughout their lives, and end up having more personal growth and happiness.
    — Shayla Love, Vox, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of spouse
Noun
  • Now going by that nickname, Cathy appears on the doorstep of a respected brothel run by the warm madam, Faye (Martha Plimpton).
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The origin story helps contextualize the misery and self-isolation of Cathy’s later years, as the madam of a Salinas whorehouse.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of madam

Browse Nearby Words

widish
widow
widowed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Widow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/widow. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All