woe

1 of 2

interjection

ˈwō 

—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

Synonyms of woe

Interjection

• boo
• rats
• alack
• aw
• ay
• alas

Noun

• distress
• agony
• misery
• anguish
• pain

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

The injury woes last year included a groin strain followed by an ankle bone bruise. —Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 23 May 2026

Batting averages can be swayed drastically one way or another in small sample sizes like that, but another alarming aspect of the Cubs’ woes with runners in scoring position is their strikeouts. —Andy Martinez, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2026

Ultrabillionaire Jeff Bezos on Wednesday hyped artificial intelligence, blamed government meddling for economic woes and broadly defended himself and his mega-rich peers in an exclusive interview with CNBC. —Kevin Breuninger,annie Palmer, CNBC, 20 May 2026

Trump’s comments came exactly a week after the president shared a similar sentiment, saying that Americans’ financial woes did not concern him as much as the prospect of an Iranian nuclear device. —Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 20 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Interjection

Middle English wa, wo, from Old English wā; 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

Phrases Containing woe

• tale of woe
• woe is me
• woe to/betide

Rhymes for woe

• beau
• beaut
• beaux
• blow
• bro
• coe
• crow
• doe
• doh
• dough
• eau
• eaux

Kids Definition

woe

noun

ˈwō

1

: great suffering from loss, misfortune, or trouble

2

: trouble entry 2 sense 1b

economic woes