What does uxoriousness mean?
Uxoriousness means excessive, often fawning devotion shown by a husband toward his wife. Unlike the general word "love," it implies an exaggerated degree of attentiveness, adoration, or indulgence. The noun is usually literary and often mildly ironic: describing a man's behavior as uxorious can suggest that he is embarrassingly eager to please his wife or has become oblivious to anything beyond her. It is consequently more likely to appear in novels, essays, or humorous commentary than in ordinary conversation. Although the word can sound affectionate in context, its standard connotations usually carry a note of criticism or ridicule. Uxoriousness is worth knowing as a precise and characteristically old-fashioned term for a form of marital devotion that ordinary words such as "fondness" or "devotion" may not convey with the same edge.
nounThe state of being excessively or fawningly devoted to one's wife. The term often carries a mildly ironic or disapproving implication.
- Excessive or fawning love and devotion shown by a husband toward his wife.
"Her uxoriousness was evident in the way she waited on him hand and foot."
"His uxoriousness knew no bounds when it came to praising his wife's cooking."
"The novel treats the husband's uxoriousness as both endearing and faintly absurd."
The plural is grammatically regular but exceptionally rare because the word itself is uncommon.
"The biographies portray their subjects' uxoriousnesses with affectionate exaggeration."
Uxoriousness is the tongue-in-cheek title for a husband's devotion when it becomes almost theatrical.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of uxoriousness
Uxoriousness was formed in English by adding the suffix "-ness" to "uxorious," producing a noun meaning the quality or state of being excessively devoted to one's wife. The adjective comes ultimately from Latin "uxoriosus," meaning "fond of one's wife," which is derived from "uxor," the Latin word for "wife." The same Latin root also underlies words such as "uxor" and "uxorial."
Related word forms
How uxoriousness is actually used
Formal, literary, and somewhat old-fashioned. It is typically used humorously or disapprovingly to suggest indulgence, fawning behavior, or excessive attachment to one's wife.