wife
25 synonyms and 2 antonyms for wife, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A married woman, in relation to her spouse.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Antonyms
How to use wife
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Etymology
From Old English wīf, an old Germanic word originally meaning simply "woman", which later narrowed in English to mean specifically a married woman.
Full origin of wife →Frequently asked questions
What does “wife” mean?
The word “wife” means a married woman, in relation to her spouse. In plain terms, a married woman, seen in relation to her husband or spouse.
How do you pronounce “wife”?
“Wife” is pronounced waf (/wæf/ in IPA).
How do you use “wife” in a sentence?
Here is “wife” used in a sentence: “He introduced Sarah as his wife.”
What is another word for “wife”?
Words with a similar meaning to “wife” include ball and chain, better half, boss, bride, dutch and 'er indoors.
What is the opposite of “wife”?
The opposite of “wife” — its antonyms — are husband and were.
What part of speech is “wife”?
“Wife” is a noun.
Where does the word “wife” come from?
The word “wife” comes from Old English. From Old English wīf, an old Germanic word originally meaning simply "woman", which later narrowed in English to mean specifically a married woman.
Is “wife” a common word?
“Wife” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
What is the opposite of wife?
The counterpart is "husband," the married man in the relationship — a wife and husband are spouses to each other. If you mean a woman who isn't married, the contrasting terms are "single woman" or historically "spinster," though the natural pair for "wife" in a marriage is "husband."
What do you call a former wife?
A woman a person was once married to but has divorced is an "ex-wife" or "former wife." If the husband has died, she is a "widow" rather than an ex-wife. These terms mark how a marriage ended — through divorce in the first case, bereavement in the second.