1
as in mournful
expressing or suggesting mourning
the woeful expressions of the players after the humiliating loss
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sad
feeling unhappiness
never saw a more woeful-looking bunch than those campers sitting there in the drenching rain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in tragic
of a kind to cause great distress
the restaurant patron made the woeful discovery that he had left his wallet at home
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of woeful
Put it this way: The Predator plays like the sort of woeful franchise restart that the characters in a Shane Black script would make fun of.
5.
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Will Leitch, Vulture, 9 June 2025
Interim Kings coach Doug Christie was pleased with the way his team responded against the Hornets after suffering a dispiriting loss to the woeful Washington Wizards on Wednesday.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 5 Apr. 2025
And for as woeful as Walker’s offense was over the last month, his .333/.353/.545 line over his past 11 games (which includes a homer and 10 RBI) suggests a breakthrough is near.
—Katie Woo, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Sure there are occasional bad losses like a late-inning collapse in the rain on May 5 against the San Diego Padres or last Friday’s 3-2 loss to the woeful Colorado Rockies, but for the most part the good outweighs the bad.
—Larry Fleisher, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for woeful
Will Leitch, Vulture, 9 June 2025
Interim Kings coach Doug Christie was pleased with the way his team responded against the Hornets after suffering a dispiriting loss to the woeful Washington Wizards on Wednesday.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 5 Apr. 2025
And for as woeful as Walker’s offense was over the last month, his .333/.353/.545 line over his past 11 games (which includes a homer and 10 RBI) suggests a breakthrough is near.
—Katie Woo, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Sure there are occasional bad losses like a late-inning collapse in the rain on May 5 against the San Diego Padres or last Friday’s 3-2 loss to the woeful Colorado Rockies, but for the most part the good outweighs the bad.
—Larry Fleisher, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for woeful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for woeful
Adjective
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Unlike most of his hardcore predecessors, Yates has a knack for mournful melodies, and a voice that may remind some older listeners of Perry Farrell, from Jane’s Addiction.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
11 June 2025
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Now comes their follow-up, with a soundalike title, but quite a different mood—more mournful, more anguished, more serious.—
Taylor Antrim,
Vogue,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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Too much alcohol and your dreamy dessert turns into a sad, semi-frozen slush.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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All three movies are packed with dinosaurs—dinosaurs running, dinosaurs being sad and winsome, dinosaurs showing ruthless disregard for human life.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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There's a tragic kind of symmetry in the way Carmen Berzatto, a guy who grew up in household devoid of nurturing, later devotes his life to caring for strangers.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
26 June 2025
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The tragic consequences ultimately haunted Einstein for the rest of his life.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.—
David Mamet,
National Review,
11 Aug. 2022
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The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2021
Adjective
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This gives the creditor an additional target to pursue and make very unhappy which can indirectly put pressure on the debtor to pay the judgment.—
Jay Adkisson,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
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Circulation increased and the publication won two Pulitzer Prizes, but the owner, conservative Harry Guggenheim, was unhappy with the paper’s shift to the left, and he and Moyers were divided over the Vietnam War and the 1968 presidential election.—
Carmel Dagan,
Variety,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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And in the process of owning your role in the unfortunate circumstances, remember, never blame your superior or the board in a public forum.—
Carol Geffner,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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While Malle is clearly qualified to oversee editorial content, the timing is unfortunate for her chances.—
Laurie Brookins,
HollywoodReporter,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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Once the game is over, pink soldiers approach Yong-sik to shoot him and ensure that he’s eliminated, despite Geum-ja’s heartbroken pleas.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
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And before long, his pig is stolen, leaving him heartbroken.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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As a result, couples may find themselves in a miserable situation.—
Mark Travers,
CNBC,
29 June 2025
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The first half of the Rockies’ 2025 season was miserable, and that’s an understatement.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
28 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Woeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/woeful. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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