ENGLISH
REFERENCE

woe betide

idiom
Meaning

Used to warn someone that trouble will occur if that person does something: bad things will happen to.


Origin

disputed origin

From Early Modern English woe (“great sadness or distress; calamity, trouble”) + betide (“to happen to, befall”), formerly used to decry a person’s actions. Grammatically, the verb is in the subjunctive mood.

Examples
SIMPLE

Woe betide anyone who touches my lunch in the fridge.

CONTEXTUAL

The boss is in a terrible mood today, so woe betide the employee who arrives late for the meeting.

COMPLEX

Woe betide the traveler who ignores the local warnings, for the mountain path becomes treacherous and unforgiving once the sun sets.

Anchors to
Related idioms1entry
  1. 01

    woe to

    Used to warn someone of trouble or danger if they carry out a certain risky action.

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