uxorious

American  

[uhk-sawr-ee-uhs, -sohr-, uhg-zawr-, -zohr-] / ʌkˈsɔr i əs, -ˈsoʊr-, ʌgˈzɔr-, -ˌzoʊr- /

adjective

1. doting upon, foolishly fond of, or affectionately submissive toward one's wife.

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uxorious British  

/ ʌkˈsɔːrɪəs /

adjective

1. excessively attached to or dependent on one's wife

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unuxorious
  adjective
• unuxoriousness
  noun
• uxoriousness
  noun
• unuxoriously
  adverb
• uxoriously
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of uxorious

1590–1600; < Latin ūxōrius, equivalent to ūxor wife + -ius -ious

Explanation

A man who dotes on or really adores his wife is uxorious. Your uxorious grandfather, for example, might plan your grandmother's surprise birthday party months in advance. Uxorious goes back to the Latin root ūxor, "wife," and it came into English in the 16th century. Uxorious is usually negative, a way to show that a husband has too much concern for his wife or is submissive to her desires. It's also an increasingly dated, old fashioned word, as a husband is considered uxorious if he lets his wife "control" him. There's no corresponding adjective you can use of a wife "controlled" by her husband.