woebegone

American  

[woh-bi-gawn, -gon] / ˈwoʊ bɪˌgɔn, -ˌgɒn /

adjective

1. beset with woe; affected by woe, especially in appearance.

2. showing or indicating woe.

   He always had a woebegone look on his face.

   Synonyms:

   gloomy, forlorn, suffering

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woebegone British  

/ ˈwəʊbɪˌɡɒn /

adjective

1. sorrowful or sad in appearance

2. archaic afflicted with woe

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Other Word Forms

• woebegoneness noun

Etymology

Origin of woebegone

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English wo begon originally, “woe (has or had) beset (someone)”; equivalent to wo + begon, past participle of begon, Old English begān “to surround, beset”; woe, be-, go ¹

Example Sentences

Like Clarence in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” Gabriel is a bit of a woebegone misfit in a long coat who needs assistance from the humans he is supposed to be assisting.

From The Wall Street Journal

Indeed, even more troublesome was the Dodgers’ inability to generate much against the Diamondbacks’ bullpen — a woebegone unit that has spoiled Arizona’s playoff aspirations by ranking 26th in the majors with a 4.73 ERA.

From Los Angeles Times

“Why not just jump straight into the deep end?” said Karty, who is charged with remedying the Rams’ woebegone kicking of 2023 .

From Los Angeles Times

The Vikings have the same 6-5 record but host the woebegone Bears Monday night.

From Seattle Times

Wilson was held to 95 yards passing with a touchdown and a pair of interceptions, and woebegone Denver finished with just 197 yards of total offense.

From Seattle Times