woes

NOUN

suffering

Synonyms

STRONGEST

adversity anguish burden calamity catastrophe disaster gloom hardship headache misery misfortune pain tragedy trouble

STRONG

affliction agony blues care cataclysm curse dejection depression distress dole drag grief heartache heartbreak lamentation melancholy misadventure rain regret rue sadness sorrow trial tribulation unhappiness wretchedness

WEAK

bemoaning deploring grieving

Antonyms

STRONGEST

advantage aid assistance benefit blessing boon cheer comfort contentment encouragement favor fortune good fortune good health good luck happiness help joy miracle pleasure profit prosperity success wonder

STRONG

gladness health joyousness peace relief

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

woes

The hotel’s medical director, Dr. Massimiliano Mayrhofer, assured me that Palace Merano’s combination of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western science, along with an anti-inflammatory diet, could mitigate some of my menopause woes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

A return to industrial musicals in the age of A.I. didn’t strike me as a solution for all the woes afflicting the performing arts, from pricey tickets to the increasingly blatant corporatization of the arts.

From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026

Scotland fans came to Hampden to welcome the new man, Sebastien Pocognoli, and left with all the woes of old weighing them down as they went.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

The Dodgers’ injury woes grew Wednesday when first baseman Freddie Freeman joined Shohei Ohtani on the sidelines with a right knee issue.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026

He was totally conked out, oblivious to his twin’s woes.

From "Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World" by Ashley Herring Blake