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

"It's vital we protect trade flows between the UK and EU and we will work with our closest allies to address global challenges rather than adding to our industries' woes", Industry Minister Chris McDonald said.

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Marineland in Ontario had hoped to offload the cetaceans on a theme park in Zhuhai, after suffering years of animal welfare concerns and financial woes.

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The Baltimore Ravens suffered a third straight defeat - their defensive woes could be terminal for their play-off hopes - while the Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions enjoyed blowout wins on another eventful Sunday.

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They take comfort from Labour's own woes and leadership speculation, and cling to a belief that Reform UK's populist policies increasingly do not survive contact with reality.

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Two-time top-flight champions Liverpool's problems lie primarily in attack, while West Ham have defensive woes too.

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Related Words

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