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
• shucks
• bah
• pooh
• tush
• phooey
• sheesh
• yuck
• pish
• humph
• ho hum
• faugh
• pshaw
• tsk
• tut
• fie

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• glory
• hallelujah
• alleluia
• hot dog
• hey
• ha
• 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
• 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

Deirdre O’Mahony interviews Irish farmers who’ve likewise watched their labor and craft ravaged by capitalism, but turns their woes into a memorable libretto set to striking aerial views of their fields. —Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 12 June 2026

His blistering, direct pace could be an early factor for Spain, which is dealing with injury woes going into the tournament. —Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 12 June 2026

The shock departure deepens Starmer’s political woes, exposing cabinet rifts with the Treasury over defense priorities and fueling Labour unrest and speculation that his grip on power is slipping. —Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026

The vote comes after months of disagreement among board members on how to handle charter oversight after the abrupt closure of two ASPIRA charter schools in Avondale in March, a move school leadership said was driven by financial woes despite receiving additional funding from the board in the fall. —Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2026