# woe betide

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/woe-betide
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

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

## Examples

- Woe betide anyone who touches my lunch in the fridge.
- Woe betide the person who wakes the baby up early.
- Woe betide you if you lose my house keys.
- The boss is in a terrible mood today, so woe betide the employee who arrives late for the meeting.
- The coach is very strict about safety, so woe betide any player who forgets to wear their helmet during practice today.
- I spent all afternoon cleaning the kitchen floor, so woe betide anyone who walks through here with muddy boots.
- The director expects every detail to be perfect for the opening night, so woe betide the stagehand who forgets to bring out the correct props.
- Woe betide the traveler who ignores the local warnings, for the mountain path becomes treacherous and unforgiving once the sun sets.

## Origin

From Early Modern English woe, denoting great sadness or calamity, and betide, meaning to happen to or befall. The construction functions as a fossilised remnant of the subjunctive mood and was formerly employed as a formal means of decrying an individual's actions.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.