also: ゆきおくれ
noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
woman who missed the chance to marry (due to age)
Refers to a woman who is considered past the typical marriageable age and remains unmarried. Often carries a somewhat old-fashioned or critical nuance; modern usage may be seen as insensitive.
See also: 嫁に行き遅れる
彼女は行き遅れと言われるのを気にしている。
She is bothered by being called a woman who missed her chance to marry.
行き遅れのレッテルを貼られるのは嫌だ。
I hate being labeled as a woman who missed the chance to get married.
Rarely used kanji form; 後れ is an alternative for 遅れ.
Compound of 行き (iki, 'going', continuative form of 行く) + 遅れ (okure, 'delay, lateness', continuative form of 遅れる). Literally 'late in going (to marry)'. The spelling 嫁き遅れ uses 嫁 (yome, 'bride') to explicitly indicate marriage.