woe

1 of 2

interjection

ˈwō 

—used to express grief, regret, or distress

woe

2 of 2

noun

plural woes

1

: a condition of deep suffering from misfortune, affliction, or grief

2

: ruinous trouble : calamity, affliction

economic woes

Synonyms

Interjection

• alack
• alas
• ay
• wirra [Irish]

Noun

• affliction
• agony
• anguish
• distress
• excruciation
• hurt
• misery
• pain
• rack
• strait(s)
• torment
• torture
• travail
• tribulation

Choose the Right Synonym for woe

sorrow, grief, anguish, woe, regret mean distress of mind.

sorrow implies a sense of loss or a sense of guilt and remorse.

a family united in sorrow upon the patriarch's death

grief implies poignant sorrow for an immediate cause.

the inexpressible grief of the bereaved parents

anguish suggests torturing grief or dread.

the anguish felt by the parents of the kidnapped child

woe is deep or inconsolable grief or misery.

cries of woe echoed throughout the bombed city

regret implies pain caused by deep disappointment, fruitless longing, or unavailing remorse.

nagging regret for missed opportunities

Examples of woe in a Sentence

Interjection

ah, woe, with the death of the last of my siblings I am alone in this world!

Noun

The city's traffic woes are well-known.

a tale of misery and woe

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

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

He’s done excellent work in Abbotsford, both developing some of the younger players who were called up and impressed down the stretch in the NHL and garnering team success despite his roster being short-handed at times due to Vancouver’s injury woes. —Harman Dayal, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025

Shohei Ohtani hasn't returned from Tommy John surgery yet, and the Dodgers' pitching woes just got even worse. —Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025

Epic’s ticket sales, hotel bookings strong, Comcast leaders say Reports of international travel woes haven’t shown up for Universal Orlando, company president says. —Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Interjection

Middle English wa, wo, from Old English wā; akin to Old Norse vei, interjection, woe, Latin vae

First Known Use

Interjection

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing woe

• tale of woe
• woe is me
• woe to/betide

Rhymes for woe

• beau
• beaux
• blow
• boe
• bro
• coe
• crow
• doe
• doh
• dough
• eau
• eaux

Kids Definition

woe

noun

ˈwō

1

: great suffering from loss, misfortune, or trouble

2

: trouble entry 2 sense 1b

economic woes