woe
Americannoun
-
profound grief or distress.
His woe at the terrible news was almost beyond description.
- Synonyms:
- melancholy, wretchedness, trial, tribulation, anguish
- Antonyms:
- joy
-
an affliction or cause of distress.
She suffered a fall, among her other woes.
interjection
idioms
-
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.
-
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.
noun
-
literary intense grief or misery
-
(often plural) affliction or misfortune
-
misfortune will befall someone
woe betide you if you arrive late
interjection
Related Words
See sorrow.
Etymology
Origin of woe
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
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Despite the glory of his singing and the enviable success of his award-lavished career, he made his life of enormous privilege seem like a tale of unremitting anguish and woe.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 15, 2025
Property taxes are another housing woe for cash-strapped Americans.
From MarketWatch • Nov. 4, 2025
A yellow card for Japan's Charlie Lawrence left the home side temporarily short-handed and there was more injury woe for Australia when Josh Canham went off following a heavy hit.
From Barron's • Oct. 25, 2025
It would be embarrassing enough if that was the extent of United's set-piece woe.
From BBC • Dec. 26, 2024
As I found a new outfit for the honey-colored Barbie in my hand and combed her thick black hair, I recounted my tale of woe to my little sister.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
