woe is me

woe is me
Meaning
Origin
This occurs in the the Bible, Old Testament in Job 10:15 in the form 'woe unto me'.
Job is one of the oldest books in the Old Testament, which dates from about 1200BC, making the phrase in the original language 3,200 years old. The first occurrence of it in English would have been Wycliffe's Bible translation in 1382. Job 10:15 If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction; Shakespeare also used it in Hamlet. The Bible has several instances of the 'woe is me' version of the phrase: Psalms 120:5. Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar! Isaiah 6:5. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. Jeremiah 4:31. For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewaileth herself, that spreadeth her hands, saying, Woe is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.

Meaning and origin of phrases. 2013.

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  • Woe, Is Me — Woe, Is Me …   Wikipedia

  • Woe — Woe, n. [OE. wo, wa, woo, AS. w[=a], interj.; akin to D. wee, OS. & OHG. w[=e], G. weh, Icel. vei, Dan. vee, Sw. ve, Goth. wai; cf. L. vae, Gr. ?. [root]128. Cf. {Wail}.] [Formerly written also {wo}.] [1913 Webster] 1. Grief; sorrow; misery;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • woe is me — (archaic) 1. Unhappy that I am! 2. Cursed am I • • • Main Entry: ↑woe * * * woe is me humorous phrase used for emphasizing that you are unhappy or have a problem Thesaurus: ways of saying you are sorry or regret something …   Useful english dictionary

  • woe — woe·be·gone; woe·be·gone·ness; woe·ful; woe·ful·ly; woe·ful·ness; woe; …   English syllables

  • Woe — Woe, a. Woeful; sorrowful. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] His clerk was woe to do that deed. Robert of Brunne. [1913 Webster] Woe was this knight and sorrowfully he sighed. Chaucer. [1913 Webster] And looking up he waxed wondrous woe. Spenser. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • woe — [ wou ] noun 1. ) woes plural FORMAL problems and worries: economic/financial/political woes to add to someone s woes: To add to their woes, farmers are expecting a wet summer. 2. ) uncount LITERARY a strong feeling of sadness: tales of great woe …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • woe — ► NOUN literary 1) great sorrow or distress. 2) (woes) troubles. ● woe betide someone Cf. ↑woe betide someone ● woe is me! Cf. ↑woe is me! …   English terms dictionary

  • woe to — (or woe betide) old fashioned used as a warning that there will be trouble if someone does something specified Woe betide anyone who enters here! [=anyone who enters here will be harmed] Woe to any student who is late for her class. [=any student …   Useful english dictionary

  • Woe — may refer to:*Sadness or suffering *Woe, Ghana, a town in Ghana s Volta region *Woe (song), by the band Say Anything *War of Emperium, a guild war in the MMORPG Ragnarok Online *Woe, a raiding guild in the MMORPG World of Warcraft * Wings Over… …   Wikipedia

  • woe — [wəu US wou] n [: Old English; Origin: wa] 1.) woes [plural] formal the problems and troubles affecting someone ▪ the country s economic woes 2.) [U] literary great sadness 3.) woe is me …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Woe, Is Me — Datos generales Origen Atlanta, Georgia …   Wikipedia Español

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