woe
woe — noun
1. serious difficulties or misfortunes that cause great unhappiness, often affectin
serious difficulties or misfortunes that cause great unhappiness, often affecting many people or lasting a long time
The new mayor promised to solve the financial woes of the public library.
collocation: financial woes
The fishing village faced many woes after the storm destroyed their boats.
A neighborhood group formed to share stories of their money troubles and household woes.
The school's woes began when its main building was damaged by the earthquake.
Tales of woe spread through the town after the factory announced it would close.
- trouble
more common and less formal than woe; can refer to any difficulty
- hardship
emphasizes difficult living conditions such as poverty or illness
- misfortune
focuses on bad luck or an unlucky event rather than ongoing problems
- blessing
something that brings happiness or good fortune
- good fortune
a situation marked by luck or success
文法句型
the + plural woes + of + noun
用法筆記
Usually appears in plural form (woes) when referring to a collection of problems. The singular form is more common in fixed expressions such as 'tale of woe'.
常見錯誤
2. a very deep feeling of great unhappiness, especially caused by loss, death, or d
a very deep feeling of great unhappiness, especially caused by loss, death, or disappointment
A look of woe appeared on Elena's face when she read the letter.
pattern: look of woe / expression of woe
The widow's heart was filled with woe long after the funeral was over.
pattern: filled with woe
A quiet sense of woe filled the room as the doctor delivered the bad news.
In the painting, the woman's expression of woe moved everyone who saw it.
The old poem describes a queen whose woe over her lost child never faded.
- grief
stronger and more specific to loss through death; more common than woe
- sorrow
a close synonym, slightly more common in everyday use
- mournfulness
less common; describes a sad, thoughtful state rather than sharp pain
文法句型
a/the + noun + of woe
filled with woe
用法筆記
This sense is uncountable and describes an emotional state, not a collection of problems. Distinguish from sense 1, where the plural 'woes' refers to specific troubles or misfortunes.
常見錯誤
woe — exclamation
1. a word used in old or formal language to express that something is terrible or t
a word used in old or formal language to express that something is terrible or that someone feels extremely sad, often as a warning or a cry of pain
'Woe to those who would destroy the peace of this village!' shouted the elder.
In the old story, the queen cried 'Woe is me!' when her castle fell.
phrase: woe is me
'Woe!' the knight said quietly, watching his friend fall on the battlefield.
The ancient text begins with the warning 'Woe to the unjust rulers of the land.'
文法句型
woe + to + noun
woe + is + me
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively in historical writing, religious texts, old poems, or modern works that imitate old language. Learners will rarely need to produce this but should recognize it when reading classic literature or the Bible.