adjective

woebegone

/ˈwoʊbɪɡɔːn/ · say it: WOH·bih·gawn

looking sorrowful or miserable

In Emotions & Moods

In more detail

1. (adjective) looking sad, unhappy, and as if things have gone wrong; having a miserable appearance

Examples

The woebegone expression on her face told us that she had failed the exam.

How to use woebegone

Woebegone is used to describe someone whose appearance visibly reflects sadness, misery, or defeat, often with a somewhat literary or archaic flavor. It conveys not just sadness but a sense of being worn down by circumstances, and carries more emotional weight and dramatic tone than simple synonyms like 'sad.' It is frequently used in narrative writing and formal descriptions rather than casual speech.

Common phrases

woebegone expression
woebegone face
woebegone appearance
woebegone look
woebegone figure

Synonyms

dejected · forlorn · melancholy · disconsolate · downcast

Opposites

cheerful · happy · radiant

Word family

woe · woeful

A common mistake

Learners sometimes misspell it as 'woebegotten' or confuse it with similar-sounding words; note that 'woebegone' is an adjective only, not typically used as a noun.

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