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

Since taking office, he’s grappled with many of the same problems that bedeviled prior sheriffs: poor jail conditions, sprawling consent decrees, allegations about deputy gangs and persistent staffing woes.

From Los Angeles Times

Ishiba will now have to navigate hostilities within his party, economic woes and a period of flux in international relations.

From BBC

Botswana hosts the world’s second-largest community of Zimbabweans fleeing their country’s economic woes - and they are often resented, with deportations taking place daily.

From BBC

TGI Fridays’ woes are part of a dominant trend that has also affected American casual restaurant chains such as Red Lobster and Denny’s.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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