as in boo
used to express sorrow or distress
ah, woe, with the death of the last of my siblings I am alone in this world!
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in distress
a state of great suffering of body or mind
a tale of misery and woe
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sorrow
deep sadness especially for the loss of someone or something loved
the incessant woe that has haunted her since the death of her husband
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of woe
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
27 June 2026
New chapter Given this assortment of housing woes, the effort undertaken for the past two years by the University of Chicago’s Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation has represented a welcome new chapter in the regrettable saga of South and West Side housing.
—
Jeffrey Steele,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2026
Democrats frequently blame the cap on the state’s fiscal woes, while Republicans often contend that any change to the cap would be a de facto tax increase.
—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
25 June 2026
Given the Cubs’ injury woes, Peterson is a necessary add.
—
Will Sammon,
New York Times,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for woe
Noun
In addition to his woes at Fenway and against the Sox, Cole has also had a rough month.
—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
27 June 2026
New chapter Given this assortment of housing woes, the effort undertaken for the past two years by the University of Chicago’s Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation has represented a welcome new chapter in the regrettable saga of South and West Side housing.
—
Jeffrey Steele,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2026
Democrats frequently blame the cap on the state’s fiscal woes, while Republicans often contend that any change to the cap would be a de facto tax increase.
—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
25 June 2026
Given the Cubs’ injury woes, Peterson is a necessary add.
—
Will Sammon,
New York Times,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for woe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for woe
Interjection
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In the north of the British Isles, people sometimes combined ye, a second person plural pronoun for you, along with aw, meaning all.
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And then … aw, just cue up the video player for the epic Francisco Lindor homer that won this thing!
Noun
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The Hoffmans are suing Boelter for assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
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Not to mention smoking hot Hart Bochner as the himbo-in-distress.
Noun
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Kara is addicted to drowning her sorrows and avoiding responsibility, but learns to embrace heroism after embarking on a quest for revenge alongside Ruthye (Eve Ridley).
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Parting is such sweet sorrow, but these guys aren’t going gently into the night just yet.
Interjection
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Like the catchphrase to the Wide World of Sports broadcast that first enthralled Hunt with the World Cup, this was the essence of the thrill of victory contrasting, alas, with the agony of defeat.
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What remains — what seems, alas, less obsolete — is the hate.
Noun
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Adding to Rezaeian’s agony, right before the final whistle another potential clincher, a header from Khalilzadeh, hit the crossbar.
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The agony of Sudan runs deep; its history is crisscrossed with blood.
Noun
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Their mother cried out in anguish.
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Meanwhile, hundreds remained missing, leading to a wave of anguish among relatives and friends.
Noun
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The episodes seemed to wallow in Carmy’s misery, along with the frustrations of everyone around him.
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That’s a recipe for in-flight misery.
Noun
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In all of them, Sugar sees the human spirit persisting through layer upon layer of loneliness, carnage, and grief.
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By the time the credits roll, Kara is forced to confront the grief she's spent years trying to outrun, Ruthye faces a life-defining choice and the film plants the seeds for the next chapter of the DC Universe.
Cite this Entry
“Woe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/woe. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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