woeful

adjective

woe·​ful ˈwō-fəl How to pronounce woeful (audio)
variants or less commonly woful
Synonyms of woefulnext
1
: full of woe : grievous
woeful prophecies
2
: involving or bringing woe
3
: lamentably bad or serious : deplorable
woeful ignorance
woefully adverb
woefulness noun

Examples of woeful in a Sentence

The puppy had woeful eyes. The student's grades were woeful.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Of all of the woes the Rockies experienced in the 2025 season, their starting pitching was the most woeful. Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2026 Darnold was the third overall pick in the 2018 draft by the woeful New York Jets. Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026 Their form at any venue that is not St James’ Park is woeful, with only three victories away from Tyneside in 17 attempts this season. Chris Waugh, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2026 Instead, after 38 games with the woeful New York Jets, he was traded to Carolina, where Darnold started 17 games before too many losses and injuries contributed to losing a quarterback competition to Baker Mayfield in 2022. Andrew Greif, NBC news, 26 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for woeful

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of woeful was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Woeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/woeful. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

woeful

adjective
woe·​ful ˈwō-fəl How to pronounce woeful (audio)
1
: full of woe
a woeful tale
2
: involving or bringing woe
a woeful occurrence
3
: pitifully bad
woeful ignorance
woefully adverb
woefulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on woeful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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