woeful

adjective

ˈwō-fəl How to pronounce woeful (audio)
Definition of woefulnext
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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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 woeful Leeds hammered woeful Newcastle 4-1 to go third in the Premier League on Monday while Real Betis won 2-1 at Villarreal to move equal on points with second-place Real Madrid in La Liga. — ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026 The woeful run defense and pass rush didn’t prevent them from making a run in the playoffs last season. — Kevin Fishbain, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026 Green Bay’s pass rush could be woeful without the star edge rusher. — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 2 Sep. 2026 Although when seen up close or for prolonged periods, the digital dinos are remarkably bland and unimpressive — I was reminded of the notoriously bad CGI in the woeful Ray Bradbury movie A Sound of Thunder (2005). — Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for woeful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for woeful
  1. mournful
  2. sad
  3. tragic
  4. weeping
  5. unhappy
  6. unfortunate
  7. heartbroken
  8. miserable
Adjective
  • Unfortunately, the disembodied feet on my aunt’s staircase were my last spectral sighting and the mournful whistling was my last haunting.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The One About Matthew Perry, a three-part docuseries, out October 27 on Netflix, is more of a celebration of celebrate Perry’s life instead of a mournful tribute or true crime drama about his death and the headline-making trial that followed.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of mournful
Adjective
  • Sheriff’s officials sad Damico, who had personal ties with Canata, claimed to be his power of attorney but was unable to provide any correlating paperwork or a will to verify such statements.
    — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 10 Nov. 2026
  • The musical comedy has earned Moore raves on the festival circuit for her role as a sad suburban homemaker turned anxious aspiring actress in a New Jersey community theater.
    — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 9 Nov. 2026
Definition of sad
Adjective
  • The trio also discussed the mental turmoil among Latino youth, highlighting the recent tragic suicides of Samuel Gonzalez Terrones and Xavier Nungaray-Martinez.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The boom in vaccine-preventable outbreaks, cases, and tragic deaths is being fueled by slipping vaccination rates nationwide as health misinformation and anti-vaccine sentiments have taken hold.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of tragic
Adjective
  • 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
  • The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.
    — Helen Shaw, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2021
Definition of weeping
Adjective
  • The Panthers were immediately unhappy, asking for a defensive pass interference.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 9 Nov. 2026
  • The family of Harry Gampel is unhappy with the name change to Gampel Pavilion.
    — Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of unhappy
Adjective
  • Before that, the Broncos were a major beneficiary of an unfortunate series of events in the third quarter.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 8 Nov. 2026
  • As the state no longer holds a monopoly on the tools—nor the data—used to keep us safe, an opaque gap between the private and public sectors has opened where unfortunate, and even tragic, events can transpire.
    — David Niccolini, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of unfortunate
Adjective
  • The heartbroken dad wasn’t home when the child fell out the window.
    — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The death of Sir Patrick Stewart has left Hollywood heartbroken as his co-stars, colleagues, and fellow actors recall rare encounters, days on set, and priceless advice the acting legend shared with them.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of heartbroken
Adjective
  • Those are only a few of the questions surrounding the team's miserable start to the season.
    — Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Kim Se Yun described the constant surveillance when abroad and at home as miserable and utterly asphyxiating.
    — Jieun Baek, Foreign Affairs, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of miserable

Browse Nearby Words

woebegone
woeful
woefully
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Cite this Entry

“Woeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/woeful. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

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