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woe
[ woh ]
/ woʊ /
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noun
grievous distress, affliction, or trouble: His woe was almost beyond description.
an affliction: She suffered a fall, among her other woes.
interjection
an exclamation of grief, distress, or lamentation.
OTHER WORDS FOR woe
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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,Latin vae
synonym study for woe
1. See sorrow.
Words nearby woe
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use woe in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for woe
woe
/ (wəʊ) /
noun
literary intense grief or misery
(often plural) affliction or misfortune
woe betide someone misfortune will befall someonewoe betide you if you arrive late
interjection
Also: woe is me archaic an exclamation of sorrow or distress
Word Origin for woe
Old English wā, wǣ; related to Old Saxon, Old High German wē, Old Norse vei, Gothic wai, Latin vae, Sanskrit uvē; see wail
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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