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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tragic
of a kind to cause great distress
condemned the deplorable conditions in which the family was living
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deplorable
This was undoubtedly the most deplorable abuse of presidential pardon power in America’s history.
—
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Twin Cities, 24 Oct. 2025
Advocating for the assassination of political opponents is deplorable and fundamentally contrary to Texan values.
—Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
The charges come after officials described deplorable living conditions in the home, news outlets reported.
—Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for deplorable
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Twin Cities, 24 Oct. 2025
Advocating for the assassination of political opponents is deplorable and fundamentally contrary to Texan values.
—Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
The charges come after officials described deplorable living conditions in the home, news outlets reported.
—Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for deplorable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deplorable
Adjective
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Here in his pitiful, mini Gaza where reasoning and logic struggle futilely.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
6 Jan. 2026
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Instead Tripp comes across as simultaneously pitiful and predatory, a fine line that Paulson was able to walk straight to the year-round Christmas store.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
9 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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In his first interview since the tragic events in May, Cacique, a Spanish nickname given to a local boss, said the turncoats hoped to receive a reward for the capture of Robert Colina, whose alias was Pantera, Spanish for panther.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott joined the rest of his teammates in having a tough day Thursday after learning of the tragic death of defensive lineman Marshawn Kneeland, who took his own life at the end of a police chase in Frisco.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The flowers are the best, even if the leaves are lame and flop over.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
25 Oct. 2025
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Cut to Culhane doing lame bits with chopsticks as walrus teeth.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Their late concession of the winning penalty to Morgan Gibbs-White, above, was unfortunate.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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Many unfortunate events were blamed on poison—the unexpected death of an enslaver or a slave, a spate of local deaths due to a virus or other disease, or problems on the plantation such as ill livestock or bad harvests.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China have designed a new sodium-sulfur battery with higher power density and discharge capacity than before, enabling a cheaper, safer alternative to lithium-ion batteries.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Jan. 2026
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Fentanyl is cheap, compact, and lethal at microscopic doses, produced through decentralized networks designed to survive disruption.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Wednesday’s dour stalemate with Leeds United at Anfield represented a wretched start to 2026.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
2 Jan. 2026
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This wretched regime is doomed to be overthrown by the risen populace and rebellious youth.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
1 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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By modern standards, kind of disgusting.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
7 Nov. 2025
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But stepping into that closet was really disgusting.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The checklist for cleaning the kitchen was probably just washing dirty dishes, wiping down countertops, and mopping the floors.—
Elizabeth Brownfield,
Southern Living,
7 Jan. 2026
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Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty.—
Shagun Khare,
Martha Stewart,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deplorable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deplorable. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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