woe

American  

[woh] / woʊ /

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.

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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

Related Words

See sorrow.

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

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

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

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

From BBC • Jan. 1, 2026

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

I knew Aunt Kitty was telling more of her tales of woe about an imprisoned husband, the forger, and Mrs. Maroney was eating it up.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Related Words

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