woe

American  

[woh] / woʊ /

noun

• woes
  plural

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.

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interjection

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

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.

woe British  

/ 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

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interjection

1. Also: woe is me. archaic an exclamation of sorrow or distress

Synonym Usage

See sorrow.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• woes
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of woe

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

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Explanation

"O, woe is me!" This line is from Shakespeare. When Hamlet scorns Ophelia, she utters these words to express the grief and despair that will soon drive her to suicide. Another famously dejected figure, Job, echoes this unhappy cry in the Old Testament when he contemplates his sad fate, "If I be wicked, woe unto me." Today, woe generally means "problem" or "worry." You may experience financial woes, if you spend too much on your credit card. And study hard for your classes or in addition to your academic woes, you may get grounded by your parents. Sometimes woe is used in a slightly ironic way. If your friends tell you to forget about your woes and go out with them, they think your problems are not too serious.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

woe woes

And he stresses that it isn’t in the president’s power to fix every economic woe.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

Meanwhile, actor Rati Gupta said she wanted to reveal her tale of woe with a boomerang hookup at L.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026

A mass protest movement has sprung up in Iran, prompted by the economic woe driven by the currency crisis.

From Barron's ● Jan. 13, 2026

One season without a trophy is major woe for Guardiola and City, two would be downright unthinkable.

From BBC ● Jan. 1, 2026

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

Although legislators have not discussed Social Security reform at length, proposals have floated around about ways to fix the program’s financing woes.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026

This won’t solve our inbox woes wholesale, but it will, at least, offer an easier path to a little relief.

From Slate ● Nov. 3, 2026

The next mayor will have to deal with enduring problems of deteriorating infrastructure, police reform and budget woes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026

The financial woes of a publicly traded Florida golf course company turned out to be an opportunity for Powerus.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

“What is it?” cried Jo, forgetting her woes for a minute in her wonder.

From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

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Related Words

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

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