woeful

adjective

woe·​ful ˈwō-fəl 

variants or less commonly woful

1

: full of woe : grievous

woeful prophecies

2

: involving or bringing woe

3

: lamentably bad or serious : deplorable

woeful ignorance

woefully

ˈwō-f(ə-)lē 

adverb

woefulness

ˈwō-fəl-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of woeful

• mournful
• weeping
• heartbroken
• funeral
• bitter
• lamentable
• grieving
• wailing
• sad

Examples of woeful in a Sentence

The puppy had woeful eyes.

The student's grades were woeful.

Recent Examples on the Web

But Ausmus, 57, remains in the mix to become the next manager of the Astros, who parted ways with Joe Espada after winning the woeful American League West at just 81-81 and getting swept by the Chicago White Sox in the Wild Card Series. — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 2 Nov. 2026

Demonstrations in France began in late September with teachers and students protesting a lack of investment in education and woeful working conditions. — Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2026

Their offense, which was supposed to be much improved with the addition of former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator, has been woeful. — Ryan Canfield Outkick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Tampa Bay's woeful offense couldn't do much against coordinator Brian Flores' defense. — CBS News, 27 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for woeful

• toefl
• woful

Kids Definition

woeful

adjective

woe·​ful ˈwō-fəl 

1

: full of woe

a woeful tale

2

: involving or bringing woe

a woeful occurrence

3

: pitifully bad

woeful ignorance

woefully

-f(ə-)lē 

adverb

woefulness

-fəl-nəs 

noun