woe
A feeling of deep sadness or big trouble.
woe in a sentence
- The poem told of the sailor's woe as his ship drifted far from home.
- The old song was full of woe, telling of a shepherd who lost his whole flock in the snow.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to woe?
- Asadness
- Bhappiness
- Cdelight
- Djoy
Show the answer
A: sadness. The other three mean the opposite of woe.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to woe?
- Asorrow
- Bsadness
- Cjoy
- Dgrief
Show the answer
C: joy. The other three mean nearly the same as woe.
Words that mean something similar
sadness, sorrow, grief
Words that mean the opposite
joy, happiness, delight
More words about emotions & feelings
- wrath: Very great anger.
- wretched: Very unhappy, or in a very poor and miserable state.
- yearn: To want something so much that it almost hurts.
- zest: A feeling of great enjoyment and enthusiasm.
- affectionate: Showing love and fondness in a warm, caring way.
- aghast: Filled with shock and horror.
- agitated: Upset and unable to keep still or calm.
- alleviate: To make pain or trouble less bad.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test