adjective
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sorrowful or sad in appearance
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archaic afflicted with woe
Other Word Forms
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”; see origin at woe, be-, go 1
Explanation
To be woebegone is to be sad, forlorn, or heartbroken. The woebegone expression on your face tells everyone how totally bummed out you are. The word woebegone doesn't make its meaning clear at first glance: it seems to imply that woe, or extreme sadness, is gone. This adjective actually stems from a Middle English phrase, wo begon, "beset or surrounded by woe." So if you see your friend looking upset or glum, you might want to ask, "Why so woebegone?"
Vocabulary lists containing woebegone
Lord of the Flies
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Cry Me A River: Synonyms for "Sad"
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Henry IV, Part 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This woebegone era of frugality hath come to its end.
From MarketWatch • May 21, 2026
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 • Oct. 16, 2025
“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 • Sep. 3, 2024
That includes a 7-0 record against the woebegone Oakland A’s — and if there ever was a year the Mariners wish they had more games against the A’s this is it.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 9, 2023
He stroked her forehead, and, with a woebegone expression on his face, asked if she needed anything? anything1?—he said it like that, twice.
From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
