1
as in pitiful
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
we will not tolerate such deplorable behavior in a house of worship
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tragic
of a kind to cause great distress
condemned the deplorable conditions in which the family was living
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of deplorable
Meanwhile, the onset of the rainy season has exacerbated already deplorable conditions, transforming dust into thick sludge, flooding fragile shelters, and bringing swarms of malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
—
Charlie Campbell, Time, 4 Sep. 2025
Perhaps even more disturbing was the fact that Pringle and the executive committee also chose to ignore ADL’s deeply flawed methodology in hate crime reporting as well as its deplorable redefinition of antisemitism to include anti-Zionist activism.
—Sahar Mustafah
august 27, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2025
His rhetoric is deplorable, but evidently, many people want to hear it—particularly those who are part of his core audience: Gen Z men.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2025
Attorneys for detainees at the Everglades facility have called the conditions there deplorable, writing in a court filing that some detainees are showing symptoms of COVID-19 without being separated from the general population.
—Kate Payne, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deplorable
Charlie Campbell, Time, 4 Sep. 2025
Perhaps even more disturbing was the fact that Pringle and the executive committee also chose to ignore ADL’s deeply flawed methodology in hate crime reporting as well as its deplorable redefinition of antisemitism to include anti-Zionist activism.
—Sahar Mustafah
august 27, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2025
His rhetoric is deplorable, but evidently, many people want to hear it—particularly those who are part of his core audience: Gen Z men.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2025
Attorneys for detainees at the Everglades facility have called the conditions there deplorable, writing in a court filing that some detainees are showing symptoms of COVID-19 without being separated from the general population.
—Kate Payne, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deplorable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deplorable
Adjective
-
The Browns have scored the second-fewest points in the NFL, ahead of only the pitiful Tennessee Titans.—
Jason Lloyd,
New York Times,
28 Sep. 2025
-
On the side of the highway, Wilson cuts a pitiful, solitary figure.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Some cases have had tragic consequences, such as 35-year-old Alex Taylor, who struggled with Asperger’s syndrome, bipolar disorder, and schizoaffective disorder, per Rolling Stone.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Following psychic researchers in search of spirits in a New England house with a tragic past, The Haunting trades leering ghouls and jump scares for atmosphere and suggestion, cultivating a cloud of dread that hangs like a heavy blanket over audiences.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
My only complaint is that the light blue stripes on the arm look printed, not stitched, which is kinda lame.—
The Athletic NHL Staff,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Another main issue is that the power grind itself now being the endgame is no longer a good motivator to play, nor is the Tier system with 3s not much different than 4s or 5s, and all past weapons being somewhat lame now outside of that system entirely.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
As Yassir Zabiri flung his boot in the air, the ball bounced off the unfortunate Joshua Wynder and into his own net.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Tight end Orande Gadsden had a very unfortunate early fumble, resulting in a long touchdown run.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
As the world searches for alternatives to lithium-ion batteries, researchers are turning to materials that are safer, cheaper, and easier to source.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Financial sacrifices, dilemmas loom Norfolk military families said the shutdown had heightened the stakes of their financial choices, from comparison-shopping for the cheapest toilet paper to frequenting Costco to buy in bulk.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
When the din inside Rams Park had finally subsided, Arne Slot attempted to put a positive spin on a wretched night for Liverpool.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Yes, Baltimore’s defense is wretched, so don’t count on this being a cure-all, exactly.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Football is a way of bringing people together irrespective of their faith, colour or religion and this disgusting decision does the exact opposite.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
18 Oct. 2025
-
These are more disgusting smears peddled by the media and billboard law firms.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
And the result at the end of the day is a truly grotesque dirty water container, which does feel like a job well done.—
Loz Blain
October 14,
New Atlas,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Trump is suing his Wall Street Journal for reporting about his dirty doodle to Jeffrey Epstein.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deplorable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deplorable. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share