Meanings
prepositional phrase
- In both prosperity and adversity; in good times and bad.
Synonyms: for weal or woe
Synonyms & antonyms
prepositional phraseIn both prosperity and adversity; in good times and bad.
Similar
Also see
Origin
PIE word *wáy From weal (“prosperity; welfare”) + woe (“great distress or sadness; calamity, trouble”). Compare Dutch wel en wee, Swedish väl och ve.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Czech v dobrém i zlém, v hojnosti i nedostatku
- v dobrém i zlémin both prosperity and adversity
- v hojnosti i nedostatkuin both prosperity and adversity
Danish i medgang og modgang
- i medgang og modgangin both prosperity and adversity
Dutch in goede en in slechte tijden
- in goede en in slechte tijdenin both prosperity and adversity
Finnish niin myötä- kuin vastoinkäymisissä
- niin myötä- kuin vastoinkäymisissäin both prosperity and adversity
French pour le meilleur et pour le pire
- pour le meilleur et pour le pirein both prosperity and adversity
Polish na dobre i na złe
- na dobre i na złein both prosperity and adversity
Russian и в горе и в радости
- и в горе и в радости (i v gore i v radosti)in both prosperity and adversity
Turkish iyi zamanda kötü zamanda
- iyi zamanda kötü zamandain both prosperity and adversity
Vietnamese hoạ phúc
- hoạ phúcin both prosperity and adversity
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with in weal and woe
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
in weal and woe. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20weal%20and%20woe
MLA
“in weal and woe.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20weal%20and%20woe. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “in weal and woe,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20weal%20and%20woe.
Source: in weal and woe on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.