- profound grief or distress: His woe at the terrible news was almost beyond description.
- an affliction or cause of distress: She suffered a fall, among her other woes.
- an exclamation of grief, distress, or lamentation.
- trouble or punishment will come upon (someone) if they take the specified action: Woe betide anybody who laughed or continued to talk while he was playing.Rules about court reporting are strict, and woe betide those who fall foul of them.Woe to the pedestrian who gets in a cyclist's way.
- (used to lament one's own distress, affliction, or trouble, sometimes humorously): Woe is me, for I am ruined!Please don't get the wrong impression, thinking this is a “woe is me” story.
- intense grief or misery
- affliction or misfortune
- misfortune will befall someone
- an exclamation of sorrow or distress
