51³Ô¹Ï

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View synonyms for

woe

[woh]

noun

  1. profound grief or distress.

    His woe at the terrible news was almost beyond description.

    Synonyms: , , , ,
    Antonyms:
  2. an affliction or cause of distress.

    She suffered a fall, among her other woes.



interjection

  1. an exclamation of grief, distress, or lamentation.

woe

/ ·Éəʊ /

noun

  1. literaryÌýintense grief or misery

  2. (often plural) affliction or misfortune

  3. misfortune will befall someone

    woe betide you if you arrive late

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged†2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

interjection

  1. Also: woe is me.ÌýarchaicÌýan exclamation of sorrow or distress

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged†2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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51³Ô¹Ï History and Origins

Origin of woe1

First recorded before 900; Middle English wo (interjection and noun), Old English ·ÉÄå (interjection) ( wellaway ); cognate with Dutch wee, German Weh, Old Norse vei; akin to Latin vae
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51³Ô¹Ï History and Origins

Origin of woe1

Old English ·ÉÄå, wÇ£; related to Old Saxon, Old High German ·Éŧ, Old Norse vei, Gothic wai, Latin vae, Sanskrit ³Ü±¹Å§; see wail
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Idioms and Phrases

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.

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Synonym Study

See sorrow.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Bianco countered that Kounalakis and the other Democrat gubernatorial candidates are directly responsible for the economic woes facing Californians because they have an “unquenchable thirst†for money to fund their liberal agenda.

From

To opponents of the bills, including dozens of environmental and labor groups, the effort misplaces the source of building woes and instead would restrict one of the few ways community groups can shape development.

From

Charging tourists to visit the Peak District could be the solution to "unprecedented" financial woes, according to the leader of the authority running the national park.

From

Gaulden’s legal woes also include being indicted by a federal grand jury in 2021 for possessing an unregistered firearm and “possession of firearms by a convicted felon†in connection to a 2020 case.

From

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport saw the worst of the travel woes with 697 flights, representing 59% of all trips, delayed.

From

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Related 51³Ô¹Ïs

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.

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