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
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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
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
This is a woeful misunderstanding of the Bill of Rights.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 24 May 2025
Agathe Robinson is beset by two classic problems: horrible writer’s block and a woeful inability to find a good man.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for woeful
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
This is a woeful misunderstanding of the Bill of Rights.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 24 May 2025
Agathe Robinson is beset by two classic problems: horrible writer’s block and a woeful inability to find a good man.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 20 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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Two screenshots from the video showing Ollie was a sad facial expression.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
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The building directly across the street stands in sad disrepair, its windows smashed, swathed in graffiti, a front garage door hangs half-open.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
19 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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This tragic event raises urgent questions: What caused such extreme weather?—
Bethany Wales,
Sacbee.com,
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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The root of the fallout was the Who (and specifically Daltrey) being unhappy with Starkey’s performance when the band played a pair of Teenage Cancer Trust charity shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall in March.—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
22 June 2025
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On Friday, Devers alluded to being unhappy with how the Red Sox treated him.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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Shakira does appear to be the beneficiary of an unintended consequence stemming from her unfortunate moves.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
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The stern instructor displays a remarkable amount of patience as the student bashes the unfortunate victim against every solid surface in sight — even alien beings capable of traversing the cosmos can have bad days at the office.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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Days before Father’s Day, the heartbroken dad of Dominic Ferrell, the 17-year-old stabbed to death in a Brickell condo, is speaking out to thank those supporting his family, to condemn the violent killing and to urge parents to hold their children close.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
14 June 2025
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He was booked into Metro Jail the night of June 1. 'Saddened and heartbroken': Attack rocks Boulder days after Israeli staffers slain Questions surround security protocols at the event The Saenger Theatre did not immediately respond to requests for comment on June 2.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
2 June 2025
Adjective
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Championship-only fandom is a largely miserable existence.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
19 June 2025
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Unexpectedly miserable league seasons last time around for Tottenham and Manchester United — the final opponents at the Amex Stadium next May — are another reason why forecasting is hazardous, especially in Brighton’s case.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Woeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/woeful. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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