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Glite Dictionary
golf widow

golf widow

1 8.2
A woman whose husband is often away because he plays a lot of golf
  • noun
  • /ɡɔlf ˈwɪdoʊ/
  • Informal
translation icon : viuda del golf
  • As a golf widow, she often spends weekends alone while her husband plays on the course.

Examples

  • She feels like a golf widow every weekend.

  • After her husband joined the country club, she became a classic golf widow.

  • Being a golf widow can be lonely during tournament season.

  • Many golf widows joke about taking up new hobbies while their partners are on the course.

  • Many golf widows find support in each other.

  • Many women identify as golf widows when their partners prioritize golfing over family time.

  • Being a golf widow means adjusting to solo weekends while he enjoys a round of golf with friends.

Synonyms

grass widow
vsgolf widow
  • Archaic
9.9

A woman whose husband is away for a long time, for example after divorce or separation

is married while her husband is often absent for long hobby sessions

Surface Forms

golf widow singular
golf widows plural

Morphology

golf + widow

The compound combines the literal noun 'golf' with a metaphorical use of 'widow' to mean someone left alone because their partner spends time golfing. A B1 learner who knows both words may infer that it denotes a person neglected due to golf, but could be misled by the primary sense of 'widow' (spouse dead) and so understanding depends on familiarity with this figurative extension rather than pure compositionality.

Etymology

Golf widow compares golf with widow: it creates the picture of a partner left at home while the other is away on the golf course. So, it jokingly means a woman whose husband is 'often absent' because he spends a lot of time playing golf.