woe

1 of 2

interjection

used to express grief, regret, or distress

woe

2 of 2

noun

plural woes
1
: a condition of deep suffering from misfortune, affliction, or grief
2
: ruinous trouble : calamity, affliction
economic woes
Choose the Right Synonym for woe

sorrow, grief, anguish, woe, regret mean distress of mind.

sorrow implies a sense of loss or a sense of guilt and remorse.

a family united in sorrow upon the patriarch's death

grief implies poignant sorrow for an immediate cause.

the inexpressible grief of the bereaved parents

anguish suggests torturing grief or dread.

the anguish felt by the parents of the kidnapped child

woe is deep or inconsolable grief or misery.

cries of woe echoed throughout the bombed city

regret implies pain caused by deep disappointment, fruitless longing, or unavailing remorse.

nagging regret for missed opportunities

Examples of woe in a Sentence

Interjection ah, woe, with the death of the last of my siblings I am alone in this world! Noun The city's traffic woes are well-known. a tale of misery and woe
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
As budget woes loom, officials are weighing these options Jan. 9, 2024 Adoption of the more conservative proposal puts the city in a more dire budget predicament than if the more aggressive approach had been approved. David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2024 The outlook for Boeing and its stock Here’s why the possibility of a new DOJ haymaker is especially concerning: Despite all the other regulatory woes and 737 production limits, Boeing’s financial fortunes appeared on the upswing. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024 The mini golf venture could help spur downtown San Jose’s recovery from the economic woes the coronavirus unleashed. George Avalos, The Mercury News, 29 Feb. 2024 The company has blamed its current financial woes on the pandemic and low reimbursement rates from Medicare and Medicaid services. Michael Kaplan, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2024 In recent months, the company has taken steps to ease its debt woes, including repaying an 800 million yuan ($111 million) local bond in full and selling a stake in a mall operator for 3.07 billion yuan with proceeds to be used for offshore debt restructuring. Lulu Yilun Chen, Fortune Asia, 28 Feb. 2024 Your navigational woes ease after the 9th, but your ability to enjoy yourself on vacation diminishes somewhat. Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Feb. 2024 China's domestic economic woes are also a factor why it isn't getting involved militarily, according to Thomas. Jackie Northam, NPR, 23 Feb. 2024 In explaining his rationale, Udoka cited the team’s injury woes over the past 27 games, stating that starting small forward Dillon Brooks had missed nine games, starting point guard Fred VanVleet had missed the last five games, and starting power forward Jabari Smith Jr. had missed four games. Rahat Huq, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'woe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Interjection

Middle English wa, wo, from Old English ; akin to Old Norse vei, interjection, woe, Latin vae

First Known Use

Interjection

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of woe was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near woe

Cite this Entry

“Woe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/woe. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

woe

noun
ˈwō
1
: great suffering from loss, misfortune, or trouble
2
: trouble entry 2 sense 1b
economic woes

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