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
At almost every turn, they were guarded, held at gunpoint and kept in such deplorable conditions that one of them developed countless sores, another could not walk and a third had serious health conditions that went untreated.
—
Shirsho Dasgupta, Miami Herald, 16 May 2025
Migrants said the death was caused in part by deplorable conditions in the warehouse in the coldest winter months that weren’t addressed.
—Nell Salzman, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2025
But such hopes for a prosperous future were dashed by the Macías Nguema regime; the deplorable attitudes of Spain during colonial rule had a psychological impact on Macías, one that helps to explain his demented behavior once in power.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 18 Apr. 2025
Introspective and surprising, with a murder mystery in the middle of the narrative, the series scrutinizes some of society’s most affluent while putting their most broken and deplorable qualities on full display.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deplorable
Shirsho Dasgupta, Miami Herald, 16 May 2025
Migrants said the death was caused in part by deplorable conditions in the warehouse in the coldest winter months that weren’t addressed.
—Nell Salzman, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2025
But such hopes for a prosperous future were dashed by the Macías Nguema regime; the deplorable attitudes of Spain during colonial rule had a psychological impact on Macías, one that helps to explain his demented behavior once in power.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 18 Apr. 2025
Introspective and surprising, with a murder mystery in the middle of the narrative, the series scrutinizes some of society’s most affluent while putting their most broken and deplorable qualities on full display.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deplorable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deplorable
Adjective
-
For better or worse, high-end eco-resorts of this type tend to focus on hyper-local ingredients often grown in a pitiful little garden behind the kitchen.—
Christopher Cameron,
Robb Report,
30 May 2025
-
From ’01 to ’20, the Knicks played in only 30 postseason games, posting a pitiful 9-21 record.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
18 May 2025
Adjective
-
This is not just the story of that tragic moment and that heinous crime.—
Samantha Balaban,
NPR,
14 June 2025
-
In Variety's new profile of the Hollywood Forever Cemetery — the legendary resting place for many industry titans in Los Angeles — co-owner Tyler Cassity revealed that Yelchin's parents, Irina and Viktor, visit the actor's grave nearly every day, nine years after his tragic death at 27.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
EW.com,
14 June 2025
Adjective
-
As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.—
Kevin Fisher-Paulson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 June 2021
-
My 11-year-old loved watching the pups roll balls and play a giant floor piano, but for non-dog owners (guilty as charged), parts of the series—like dressing dogs in little hats and outfits for a Parisian fashion show—feel lame.—
Tim Neville,
Outside Online,
23 Nov. 2020
Adjective
-
Shakira does appear to be the beneficiary of an unintended consequence stemming from her unfortunate moves.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
-
The unfortunate widowed Ellen Brody (Lorraine Gary) heads down to the Bahamas to visit her son, Michael (Lance Guest), and guess who follows?—
Chris Nashawaty,
EW.com,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
This means some fans will be watching Messi for as little as $4, which is a far cry from the cheapest seats being cast at $349 when the draw was made in December.—
Adam Crafton,
New York Times,
14 June 2025
-
Those posts are relatively cheap to purchase and install.—
Ariane Lange,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
Mings watched on from the Wembley steps as an unused substitute during the wretched FA Cup semi-final defeat to Crystal Palace, many fans believing his skill set was better suited to deal with Palace’s counter-attacking threat.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
14 May 2025
-
Fernandes, who’s been at Old Trafford since 2020, chalked up 19 goals and 20 assists in all competitions during a wretched 2024/25 campaign for the Red Devils.—
Henry Flynn,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
Adjective
-
All the juicy — and disgusting — details of each inspection can be found in a PDF embedded under each restaurant’s entry.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
15 June 2025
-
War is disgusting, and that extraordinary chapter, which concluded what was undoubtedly the most terrible war in history, provides no exception ...—
Charles C. W. Cooke,
National Review,
12 June 2025
Adjective
-
The effort is big business with organized, managed, paid people doing the dirty work.—
Carolyn Rosenblatt,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
-
Washing Machine Cleaner Your clothes aren’t the only things that get dirty in the laundry room.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
13 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deplorable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deplorable. Accessed 25 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share