Sorrow, grief, anguish, woe, regret mean distress of mind Woe is me.click for more definitions. Sorrow implies a sense of loss or a sense of guilt and remorse
Grief implies poignant sorrow for an immediate cause → see woe betide someone 4 Anguish suggests torturing grief or dread
Listened to his tale of woe A cause of sorrow or misery Definition of woe noun in oxford advanced learner's dictionary Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
There are 21 meanings listed in oed's entry for the word woe, four of which are labelled obsolete See ‘meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence. Woe (countable and uncountable, plural woes) great sadness or distress A misfortune causing such sadness
When someone experiences woe, they are burdened by a heavy emotional weight, feeling a profound sadness and despair It can be triggered by personal loss, misfortune, or a sense of helplessness in the face of adversity Grievous distress, affliction, or trouble His woe was almost beyond description
She suffered a fall, among her other woes An exclamation of grief, distress, or lamentation. Literary intense grief or misery 2
