noun
widower; divorced man not remarried
Refers to a man who has lost his spouse through death or divorce and has not remarried. Often used in the compound 男やもめ (おとこやもめ) for clarity. The female counterpart is 寡婦 (かふ) or 未亡人 (みぼうじん).
See also: 男やもめ (おとこやもめ) · 寡婦 (かふ)
彼は若くしてやもめになった。
He became a widower at a young age.
やもめ暮らしも慣れてきた。
I've gotten used to living as a widower.
Explicitly means 'male widower/divorced man'; やもめ alone can be ambiguous but usually refers to a man.
Formal term for a widow or divorced woman who has not remarried; the female counterpart of やもめ.
Common term for a widow, specifically a woman whose husband has died; more specific than やもめ.
The origin is uncertain. The word やもめ is a native Japanese term, and the kanji 鰥 is a Chinese character meaning 'widower' that was later applied to this reading.