woe

Meaning

Synonyms

sorrow
B2
grief
B2
distress
C1
sadness
C1
affliction
20k
suffering
B1
pain
A2
adversity
C2
misfortune
C1
woe is me
trouble
A1
heartbreak
C2
disaster
B2
anguish
C2
trial
B1
accident
A2
misery
B2
unhappiness
C2
heartache
C2
woefulness
regret
B1
dolor
sorrowfulness
tribulation
lament
22k
torment
C1
ordeal
C2
woeful
40k
remorse
C1
ruefulness
smart
A2
smartness
48k
sorry
A1
teen
C1
vexation
wo
C1
worried
A2
😟
worries
B2
worry
A1
brokenheartedness
depression
C1

O dear

ache
C1
agony
C1
bad luck
bane
C2
calamity
C2
catastrophe
C1
commiserations

deep sorrow

Translations

Kummer
malheur
pesar
wee
acı
dolore
Gram
aflicción
ach
pena
verdriet
guaio
mágoa
Herzeleid
infelicidade
Frequency

C2
Pronounced as (IPA)
/wəʊ/
Etymology

Inherited from Middle English
wo
Inherited from Old English
wā
Cognate with Dutch
Dutch
wee
Cognate with German
German
Weh
Cognate with Danish
ve
Cognate with Yiddish
וויי
Cognate with Latin
Latin
vae
Cognate with Albanian
vaj
Cognate with French
French
ouais
Cognate with Ancient Greek
οὐαί
Cognate with Persian
وای
Cognate with Turkish
Turkish
vay
Cognate with Armenian
վայ
In summary

From Middle English wo, wei, wa, from Old English wā, wǣ, from Proto-West Germanic *wai, from Proto-Germanic *wai (interjection), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wáy (interjection). See also Dutch wee, German Weh, weh, Danish ve, Yiddish וויי (vey); also Latin vae, Albanian vaj, French ouais, Ancient Greek οὐαί (ouaí), Persian وای (vây) (Turkish vay, a Persian borrowing), Proto-Slavic *uvy (whence Russian увы́ (uvý)), and Armenian վայ (vay).

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