Synonyms of woe

woe 1 of 2

interjection

ˈwō 

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

• boo
• rats
• alack
• aw
• ay
• alas
• ouch
• wirra
• ow
• yuk
• shucks
• bah
• pooh
• tush
• phooey
• sheesh
• yuck
• pish
• humph
• ho hum
• faugh
• pshaw
• tsk
• tut
• fie

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• glory
• hallelujah
• alleluia
• hurrah
• hot dog
• hey
• ha
• hurray
• wow
• hooray
• yahoo
• whee
• whoopee
• wahoo
• yippee

woe

2 of 2

noun

1

as in distress

a state of great suffering of body or mind

a tale of misery and woe

Synonyms & Similar Words

• distress
• agony
• misery
• anguish
• pain
• discomfort
• torment
• tribulation
• torture
• hurt
• sorrow
• sadness
• pang
• excruciation
• travail
• heartbreak
• hardship
• strait(s)
• rack
• affliction
• difficulty
• trouble
• heartache
• danger
• unhappiness
• emergency
• ache
• cross
• crucible
• joylessness
• soreness
• jeopardy
• twinge
• trial
• pinch
• stitch
• throe
• smarting
• rigor
• asperity

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• consolation
• relief
• comfort
• solace
• ease
• alleviation
• security
• peace
• assuagement
• well-being

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

• sorrow
• anguish
• grief
• heartbreak
• agony
• heartache
• pain
• sorrowfulness
• guilt
• distress
• misery
• despair
• dolor
• melancholy
• shame
• remorse
• suffering
• torment
• sorriness
• depression
• affliction
• regret
• gloom
• dejection
• unhappiness
• oppression
• wretchedness
• dolefulness
• blues
• gloominess
• dreariness
• dumps
• heartsickness
• despondency
• miserableness
• joylessness
• desolation
• melancholia
• glumness
• doldrums
• downheartedness
• contrition
• rue
• forlornness
• despondence
• woefulness
• desolateness
• blue devils
• mopes
• disconsolateness
• self-pity
• self-reproach
• dispiritedness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• joy
• delight
• glee
• happiness
• pleasure
• ecstasy
• bliss
• exultation
• elation
• jubilation
• euphoria
• mirth
• rapture
• exuberance
• gladness
• cheerfulness
• joyousness
• blessedness
• cheer
• exhilaration
• joyfulness
• felicity
• merriment
• cheeriness
• gayety
• jollity
• gaiety
• merrymaking
• humor
• optimism
• joviality
• lightheartedness
• blissfulness
• gleefulness
• hopefulness
• gayness
• elatedness
• mirthfulness
• enjoyment
• rapturousness
• gladsomeness
• contentment
• content
• sunniness
• contentedness

Synonym Chooser

How is the word woe different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of woe are anguish, grief, regret, and sorrow. While all these words mean "distress of mind," woe is deep or inconsolable grief or misery.

cries of woe echoed throughout the bombed city

When is it sensible to use anguish instead of woe?

The meanings of anguish and woe largely overlap; however, anguish suggests torturing grief or dread.

the anguish felt by the parents of the kidnapped child

When is grief a more appropriate choice than woe?

The words grief and woe can be used in similar contexts, but grief implies poignant sorrow for an immediate cause.

the inexpressible grief of the bereaved parents

Where would regret be a reasonable alternative to woe?

While the synonyms regret and woe are close in meaning, regret implies pain caused by deep disappointment, fruitless longing, or unavailing remorse.

nagging regret for missed opportunities

When can sorrow be used instead of woe?

While in some cases nearly identical to woe, sorrow implies a sense of loss or a sense of guilt and remorse.

a family united in sorrow upon the patriarch's death

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of woe

Noun

Apart from Snow White’s box office woes, the film was met with middling reviews upon its theatrical release. —Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025

Floundering in his career and stressed about planning his wedding, Yvan’s woes compound when his oldest friends turn their insults on him, calling him a coward, an amoeba and a fan of motel art. —Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2025

Make sure to keep your wits about you so as to not make any trip woes turn into true nightmares. —Opheli Garcia Lawler, Travel + Leisure, 6 May 2025

King Charles can't get involved in Prince Harry's security woes: author Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine and author of ‘My Mother and I,’ explains why the monarch is too exhausted to deal with his younger son’s ongoing court battle. —Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 2 May 2025