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

In Miami-Dade, the transit system faces financial woes Aside from diminishing Miami-Dade’s transit ambitions, the Levine Cava plan also highlights the dire financial picture facing mass transit in the county. — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026 Well, those woes came back on Thursday during the first round of the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 16 July 2026 The woes of airplane middle seats are soon to be eradicated for some United Airlines passengers. — Mason Leib, ABC News, 14 July 2026 With the woes of heat and humidity, styling hair in the summer is no easy feat. — Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 14 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

Research supports this, showing that accepting difficult feelings leads to faster recovery and less long-term distress compared to suppression, which can worsen anxiety and depression.

— Kevin Kruse, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
The environment of a busy pool may trigger sensory overload and distress, causing children to cry or want to leave.

— Tana Carson, The Conversation, 17 July 2026

Definition of distress

Noun

As the genre’s name suggests, country music tends to be preoccupied with place; the charts are full of tributes to the satisfaction of being firmly rooted in a small town, and the sorrows of leaving it behind.

— Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 19 July 2026
Bet your bottom dollar that Son Heung-min, LAFC’s $26-million man — the record MLS fee for an incoming player — would peel himself off the mat and clear away the cobwebs and the sorrow of the past few weeks and months.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 July 2026

Definition of sorrow

Noun

Negron shared her agony over losing her brother on social media.

— Julian Roberts-Grmela, New York Daily News, 18 July 2026
Sadly, in discouraging all the phantom agonies, FIFA inadvertently seems to have done away with the equally farcical phenomenon that is Magic Spray®.

— Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of agony

Noun

Yet, outside the excellently claustrophobic Trojan Horse scenes, Nolan is more interested in exploring his anguish than his spoils.

— Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
Your mind fills with all the defeats; all the anguish of mistakes made and opportunities missed.

— Kristine Fischer, Outdoor Life, 16 July 2026

Definition of anguish

Noun

The ensemble drama traces the unpredictable shape of grief and family dynamics, aiming for an emotionally candid portrait of loss and the ties that hold communities together.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 July 2026
Buddhist texts often present meditation as a way of confronting uncertainty, grief, mortality and impermanence.

— Ronald S. Green, The Conversation, 16 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 22 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of woe

interjection

noun

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