Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom.
Weal and woe
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
The correct answer is option 3 i.e. Joy and sorrow (or more precisely, happiness and sadness).
The idiom “weal and woe” refers to experiencing both ends of life’s spectrum — prosperity and adversity, or in simpler terms, joy and sorrow. Various credible sources define it as enduring “times of happiness and success” and “times of sadness and difficulty”.
Why option 3 is correct:
Joy and sorrow exactly capture the contrast between weal (happiness) and woe (deep distress).
Why the other options are incorrect:
Option 1 – Early and late: unrelated to emotional states.
Option 2 – Hot and cold: refers to temperature, not feelings.
Option 4 – Simplicity and complexity: unrelated to joy or sorrow.