WOE Synonyms: 176 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

woe 1 of 2

interjection

ˈwō

Definition of woe

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!

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

woe

2 of 2

noun

as in distress

a state of great suffering of body or mind a tale of misery and woe

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of woe

Noun

Some digging around Amazon led me to the Hollywood Fashion Secrets Bra Converting Clip, which has singlehandedly solved my wandering-strap woes. — Sophie Wirt, InStyle, 9 July 2026 Chip stocks add to market woes Samsung, one of the world’s largest chip and memory manufacturers, reported better-than-expected earnings early Tuesday. — Katherine Doyle, NBC news, 7 July 2026 The Padres’ starting pitching woes continued, as Walker Buehler allowed seven runs in five innings one start after yielding nine runs in four innings. — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 July 2026 So, those who viewed ALARA as the cause of all the nuclear industry’s woes will likely be excited to see the NRC eliminate it. — ArsTechnica, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for woe

Recent Examples of Synonyms for woe

Interjection

The girls, who have been aw-ing at Aniya’s love story with Carl, tell the boys to sit down.

— Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 1 July 2026
In the north of the British Isles, people sometimes combined ye, a second person plural pronoun for you, along with aw, meaning all.

— Bill Chappell, NPR, 16 July 2025

Definition of aw

Noun

Lewbel said distress detection is no longer a feature of Flock's system, but did not respond to questions about what led to that decision or whether it had ever been used by law enforcement.

— N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 11 July 2026
However, evidence of an ancient alien civilization and a frantic distress call from deep space instantly cut those celebrations short.

— Paul Brett, Space.com, 10 July 2026

Definition of distress

Noun

The clouds begin to part The clouds of grief and sorrow that had enveloped Gounder with the approach of the World Cup were dispersed by the bright orange sun of a New York Knicks championship, the team’s first in 53 years.

— PJ Green, Kansas City Star, 8 July 2026
From shabby apartments to art experiments to filthy needles—with echoes of Patti Smith and Rebecca Makkai—Adler conjures an era of sorrow borne by too many, too young.

— Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026

Definition of sorrow

Interjection

With the wedding canceled, Enola attempts to juggle her investigations with easing Tewkesbury’s believably bruised heart, but alas, things just don’t slow down.

— Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 30 June 2026
The final day of June is here, alas, and the best month of the year is almost at an end.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026

Definition of alas

Noun

Andrade said the absence of an official passenger manifest deepened the anguish of dozens of families awaiting the arrival of Flight 164.

— Sonia Osorio, Miami Herald, 9 July 2026
The series depicts the anguish of an interrupted boyhood and the awakening of a child’s conscience as their safest spaces erode.

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 8 July 2026

Definition of anguish

Noun

The centerless nature of Kiely’s grief unsettled him for a time.

— Laura Snapes, Pitchfork, 9 July 2026
Demanding a transparent investigation Salgado Araujo’s death has brought an outpouring of grief and calls for transparency, with activists and Texas Democratic lawmakers demanding all evidence from the scene be reviewed.

— Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 8 July 2026

Definition of grief

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wobbly

woe

woebegone

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“Woe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/woe. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of woe

interjection

noun

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