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

Infrastructure woes had plagued the summit from the start -- leaking ceilings, broken air conditioners, toilets running out of water and more.

Read more on Barron's

“The art collection is probably worth more than what the building is,” said McKechnie, who added that a fire sale isn’t a sustainable solution for the club’s financial woes.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

More woe was in store for him, for at the eleventh hour, Julia was also hired by the Ashtons, who would soon need a baby nurse of their own.

Read more on Literature

“Alas, it is much worse, woe is he!”

Read more on Literature

“I am in receipt of a letter,” Penelope pressed on, for she had no desire to hear about Lady Ashton’s marital woes, or anyone else’s for that matter.

Read more on Literature

Related Words

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