woes

noun

plural of woe
as in pains
a state of great suffering of body or mind a tale of misery and woe

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 woes The Rams’ injury woes continued Thursday when star receiver Puka Nacua left practice because of a calf injury, a team official said. — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026 Higher hardware costs, fueled by memory chip shortages, are adding to the woes. — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026 Harbaugh won't use injuries as an excuse, just as coach Sean McVay won't point to missing Garrett for five games and Donald for two as justification for the Rams' woes. — ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026 While the global energy crisis is tied to geopolitics, Bangladesh’s woes are uniquely entwined. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 20 Oct. 2026 Irish comedian Joanne McNally was first on stage, delighting the packed house with the woes of being single and 40. — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026 The new leadership team came as the festival and its Villa Noailles parent association battled financial woes and allegations of mismanagement, which resulted in the exit of founder Jean-Pierre Blanc. — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 17 Oct. 2026 Trustees in two San Antonio-area public school districts are on the ballot this November as districts deal with enrollment woes and financial challenges. — Sophia Veneziano, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Oct. 2026 The nation’s growing financial woes, along with rising corporate debt supply and expectations for higher Federal Reserve interest rates, have sparked turmoil in bond markets in recent months. — Tami Luhby, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for woes
  1. pains
  2. distresses
  3. agonies
  4. miseries
Noun
  • The couple took pains to preserve historical details like the house's original wooden shutters.
    — Sophie Caldwell,Valentina Duarte, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Nearly every single recipe from the Fizz’s golden age takes pains to specify that it should be made very cold, served without ice, and consumed immediately after delivery, an instruction that may seem pedantic but is nonetheless ubiquitous.
    — Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of pains
Noun
  • Pain, infection, medication side effects, and other physical and emotional distresses may be expressed through shouting, intimidating gestures, kicking, pushing, or punching.
    — Jordan Rau, NPR, 19 July 2026
Definition of distresses
Noun
  • There are few harsher agonies than waiting, and throughout the great expanse of the CPKC ‘International’ Grand Prix presented by Rolex at the Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’, two riders felt that in very different ways.
    — Tilly Berendt, New York Times, 14 Sep. 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 agonies
Noun
  • Some residents said hope is elusive given the island’s litany of miseries – from natural disasters to a bankrupt government to a financial control board that manages funding for infrastructure.
    — Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Cyclospora, an intestinal parasite, has sickened thousands of people and hospitalized hundreds with explosive diarrhea, painful cramping, or other gastrointestinal miseries.
    — Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of miseries

Browse Nearby Words

woefulness
woes
woke
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Cite this Entry

“Woes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/woes. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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