woe

[ woh ]

noun

1. profound grief or distress:

   His woe at the terrible news was almost beyond description.

   Synonyms: wretchedness, melancholy, trial, tribulation, anguish

   Antonyms: joy

2. an affliction or cause of distress:

   She suffered a fall, among her other woes.

interjection

1. an exclamation of grief, distress, or lamentation.

woe

/ wəʊ /

noun

1. literary.
   intense grief or misery
2. often plural affliction or misfortune
3. woe betide someone
   misfortune will befall someone

   woe betide you if you arrive late

interjection

1. archaic.
   Alsowoe is me an exclamation of sorrow or distress

Word History and Origins

Origin of woe¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English wo (interjection and noun), Old English wā (interjection) ( wellaway ); cognate with Dutch wee, German Weh, Old Norse vei; akin to Latin vae

Word History and Origins

Origin of woe¹

Old English wā, wǣ; related to Old Saxon, Old High German wē, Old Norse vei, Gothic wai, Latin vae, Sanskrit uvē; see wail

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. woe betide, trouble or punishment will come upon (someone) if they take the specified action: Also woe to.

   Woe betide anybody who laughed or continued to talk while he was playing.

   Rules about court reporting are strict, and woe betide those who fall foul of them.

   Woe to the pedestrian who gets in a cyclist's way.

2. woe is me, (used to lament one's own distress, affliction, or trouble, sometimes humorously):

   Woe is me, for I am ruined!

   Please don't get the wrong impression, thinking this is a “woe is me” story.

Synonym Study

See sorrow.

Example Sentences

“We can’t dwell on this, ‘Oh no, woe is me,’” said rookie edge rusher Jared Verse.

From Los Angeles Times

Woe to anyone in their group who wants to take a rest.

From Los Angeles Times

“The Lord must have been off the day he paired Lauryn Hill with Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel, the plaintiff in this action, because the betrayal among the forged Fugees family has risen to Mythic proportions. This is their tale of woe.”

From Los Angeles Times

She expressed woe at no longer being able to tour the stores or shop for groceries, which is both utterly normal and difficult to picture given her close association with the Dowager Countess.

From Salon

But it's hard to imagine that most Americans will start liking Vance after they hear him pull the "woe is me" act for the full length of tonight's debate.

From Salon

Related Words

• adversity
• anguish
• burden
• calamity
• catastrophe
• disaster
• gloom
• hardship
• headache
• misery
• misfortune
• pain
• tragedy
• trouble