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
Previous Houston teams had to hope their suffocating defense would compensate for woeful shooting.
—
Steve Kornacki, NBC News, 20 Mar. 2025
Next up for Miami: a Monday night game at woeful Washington, before tougher assignments await Wednesday in Boston and Thursday at home against Memphis.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2025
Maryland will make its 15th appearance and has a woeful 2-12 record.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2025
Despite the woeful shooting start, Otay trailed just 11-2 early in the second quarter.
—The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for woeful
Steve Kornacki, NBC News, 20 Mar. 2025
Next up for Miami: a Monday night game at woeful Washington, before tougher assignments await Wednesday in Boston and Thursday at home against Memphis.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2025
Maryland will make its 15th appearance and has a woeful 2-12 record.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2025
Despite the woeful shooting start, Otay trailed just 11-2 early in the second quarter.
—The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for woeful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for woeful
Adjective
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The band played somber hymns marking Good Friday, a mournful day during Holy Week.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
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At the vigil, the atmosphere appeared to be both mournful and celebratory of Scooter’s life.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Though the courts have not invariably ruled against Trump, the Administration’s record so far is, to use one of the President’s favorite words, sad.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
21 Apr. 2025
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The sad story of Alex Verdugo was one of the most puzzling dramas of the MLB offseason.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic incident.—
Phil Boucher,
People.com,
27 Apr. 2025
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Boca Bash drowning The 2018 Boca Bash turned tragic when 32-year-old Francis Roselin, of West Palm Beach, drowned.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 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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Some 59% of voters are unhappy with how things are going in the country.—
Dana Blanton,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2025
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Particularly now that Americans are unhappy with the state of economy.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Such a difficult call really spotlighted for the first time how tough a situation he has been left in by Eddie Howe’s unfortunate absence (due to pneumonia).—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2025
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In 2022, Manhattan Federal Judge Jed Rakoff, who presided over both trials, decided The Times was not liable for defamation while jurors were deliberating, that the error amounted to unfortunate editorializing but not libel.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The recent tragic helicopter crash into the Hudson River, which claimed six lives, has left our city heartbroken and once again grappling with difficult questions about public safety and aviation policy.—
Keith Powers,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2025
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The heartbroken couple spent days looking for Valerie but eventually had to return to their lives in Broken Hill, New South Wales.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Politics Trump officials’ defiance over Abrego Garcia’s deportation is ‘shocking,’ appeals court says April 17, 2025 His underlings ape his ghoulish glee in making life miserable for undocumented immigrants.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2025
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Just 22 regulation wins, more than only the miserable Chicago Blackhawks (20) and San Jose Sharks (14)?—
Kevin Kurz,
New York Times,
18 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Woeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/woeful. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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