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
Ms. Duleba-Kasza’s Ola is a woebegone delight; one can sense the psychic miles Marcin has run up on her.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026
“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
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 • Oct. 12, 2023
I glanced at David, woebegone as always, but I knew he wasn’t sad at leaving Mr. Hull or at leaving China.
From "Homesick" by Jean Fritz
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.
