wifeless
Definition
Adjective: "Wifeless" describes a state of being without a wife, typically referring to a man who is unmarried or not currently married.
Usage Examples
- (He did not remarry and lived without a spouse.)
- (The monarch had no wife and no child to inherit the throne.)
Advanced Usage
- "to go wifeless": to choose or be forced to live without a wife.
- He decided to go wifeless, preferring solitude to companionship. (He deliberately remained unmarried.)
Variants and Related Words
Wife (n): a married woman in relation to her spouse.
- She is a devoted wife and mother.
Wifely (adj): relating to or characteristic of a wife.
- She performed her wifely duties with grace. (She fulfilled the traditional roles of a wife.)
Synonyms
- Unmarried: not married.
- Spouseless: without a spouse.
- Bachelor: an unmarried man (implies choice or state, but not necessarily current).
Antonyms
- Married: having a spouse.
- Wived: having a wife (rare, often used in historical or literary contexts).
Related Idioms
- "to live wifeless": to exist without a wife.
- He had lived wifeless for so long that he forgot what it was like to share a home. (He had been unmarried for an extended period.)
Usage Note
"Wifeless" is a formal or literary term, not commonly used in everyday conversation. It often appears in historical, legal, or descriptive contexts. Modern alternatives like "unmarried" or "single" are more frequent.