proverb · Words worth keeping
Woe follows wickedness.
Woe follows wickedness.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Wrongdoing can cause suffering. The saying warns about consequences but overstates any claim that harm reliably returns to the person who caused it.
What the words are saying
Woe follows wickedness as though the sequence were assured. It can encourage reflection on the misery an action may create for others and for the actor. It does not prove a universal system of punishment or show that a suffering person has done wrong. A careful reading examines the actual conduct, effects and opportunities for repair rather than using hardship as evidence of guilt.
Everyday example
Someone recognises that a dishonest action damaged trust and takes responsibility for correcting it.
When to use it
Use it to consider harm connected with a particular wrong.
What it does not mean
Suffering is not proof of wrongdoing, and wrongdoing is not always visibly punished.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 1819 · Woe
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English