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| woe [ wō ] (plural woes) |
noun |
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| Definition: |
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1. unfortunate happening: a serious affliction or misfortune
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2. grief: grief or distress resulting from a serious affliction or misfortune
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| [ Old English wā< Germanic < Indo-European] |
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woe betide somebody used as a threat to indicate that somebody is going to regret something or be punished in some way
  Woe betide him if he turns up late for work again.
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woe is me used to indicate that the speaker is in distress or feels unhappy or unfortunate (literary or humorous)
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