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 next

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

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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

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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

Examples of woe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In their efforts to escape their woes, each end up meeting respective handsome locals in the forms of Julius (Samer Salem) and Henry (Daniel Garcia), who will spice up their visits. —

Breanne L. Heldman, People.com, 27 Sep. 2024 The decision was made before Brian Niccol took over as CEO on Sept. 9 to address the company’s sales woes. —

Fortune, 26 Sep. 2024 First, they were demolished by New Orleans Saints, and on Sunday, Baltimore ran all over Dallas’ defense to claim its first win of the season and deepen the Cowboys’ woes. —

Ben Morse, CNN, 25 Sep. 2024 More:Stellantis sales woes prompt theories, worries as UAW blasts CEO Knight sounded pleased when asked why investors should buy Stellantis stock. —

Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press, 24 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for woe

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'woe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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“Woe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/woe. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.

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Synonyms of woe

interjection

noun

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