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
She is bothered by being called a woman who missed her chance to marry.
I hate being labeled as a woman who missed the chance to get married.
Means 'unsold goods' or metaphorically 'a woman left on the shelf', but is more directly commercial and can be more derogatory.
Neutral term for 'late marriage'; does not carry the negative judgment of 行き遅れ.
Standard kanji spelling using 行く.
Spelling that explicitly uses 嫁 (bride), emphasizing the marriage context.
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.