woe

[woh]

noun

1. profound grief or distress.

   His woe at the terrible news was almost beyond description.

   Synonyms: melancholy, wretchedness, 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. misfortune will befall someone

   woe betide you if you arrive late

interjection

1. Also: woe is me. archaic,  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

The two big parties are both partly distracted by their own woes, which could provide the Lib Dems plenty of political space.

From BBC

In August, cost-of-living woes and similar anger at elites also led to mass demonstrations in Indonesia, which escalated sharply after a motorcycle rider was killed by a police vehicle.

From BBC

More competition has chipped away at Tesla's market share, contributing to its recent woes.

From BBC

But current and former officials said the current financial woes of the city could not be placed solely on the legal claims, and that its dire financial situation could be seen taking shape years ago.

From Los Angeles Times

Cincinnati managed only seven yards in the second half of Week 1 and had kicking woes.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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