Meaning & use
woe is me
An exclamation used, often self-mockingly, to express sorrow or self-pity about one's troubles.
See it in a sentence
He sighed "woe is me" every time his phone battery died, as if it were a tragedy.
She rolled her eyes at his woe-is-me tone about having to work a Saturday shift.
A note on using this word
The phrase is usually spoken with irony or exaggeration to mock someone's minor complaint, rather than expressing genuine grief.
Words with a similar meaning
poor me
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
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