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 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 After a woeful June, one that had even the club’s most fervent supporters hovering their hands over panic buttons, the Braves have burst out of the All-Star break with vengeance on offense. — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 20 July 2026 Mike Trout presumably has witnessed every possible blooper, blunder and boo-boo in 16 seasons with the woeful Angels. — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 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
  • Eleazar forgoes Thom Yorke-style belting, draws out the mournful quaver in the lyrics, and subtly reshapes the anthem in Misty’s image, her commitment to doing things her way.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
  • But the production here betrays its economy, and the direction, by Garth Davis and Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, remains earthbound, held down by mournful strings and devoid of color.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of mournful
Adjective
  • Tuesday's testimony in Media was emotional and sad as the 911 call of the stabbing was played.
    — Joe Holden, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • But seeing Mike Love this weekend was a sad one for Beach Boys fans.
    — Geoff Edgers, Washington Post, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of sad
Adjective
  • Encouragement from his longtime confidante and collaborator helped the comedian write about the loss of his beloved home before Reiner’s tragic killing in December 2025 alongside his wife, Michele, in Brentwood.
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Reynolds, a Black disabled man with a limb difference, is given a character of substance that isn’t tragic or inspirational.
    — Kristen Lopez, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 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
  • Someone still must understand why that client is unhappy and rebuild confidence.
    — Adam Povlitz, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Even residents who are unhappy with most aspects of the rezoning admit that the studios were a win.
    — Kim Velsey, Curbed, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of unhappy
Adjective
  • Choosing the most abject—or unfortunate—car names will never not be funny.
    — Jason Barlow, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The timing was unfortunate for Saudi Arabia, several experts say.
    — Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of unfortunate
Adjective
  • Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire honored Macy at a county Board of Supervisors meeting Wednesday, telling community leaders that her death had left his office and the wider community heartbroken.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Daria’s heartbroken family declined to comment on her death Saturday.
    — Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of heartbroken
Adjective
  • Sunday’s 31-24 loss to Cincinnati – the latest miserable day during this depressing season - crystallized several issues that general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and coach Jeff Hafley must navigate in the days and weeks ahead.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Probably get out and do that, like, half-walk, half-jog thing and then show up, like, really sweaty and miserable.
    — Zach Schiffman, Curbed, 9 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 15 Oct. 2026.

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