as in sadly
with feelings of bitterness or grief
woefully recounted the many injustices that the family had endured at the hands of the dictator
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Recent Examples of woefully
But in 2026, that savings account has been woefully deficient.
—
Imtiaz Rangwala, The Conversation, 1 Apr. 2026
Both instincts may be rooted in good intentions, but both are woefully insufficient for governing a big city like Chicago, especially as the regulatory framework is still taking shape.
—Laura Kavanagh, Time, 27 Mar. 2026
The country had lost a generation of promising students and researchers during World War I; its universities were teaching math in uncoordinated, fragmented ways, using materials that were woefully out of date.
—Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026
Like many in my field, I’ve been frustrated by woefully inadequate options for pain management, shaped by centuries of gender bias and a lack of investment in women’s health research.
—Maryl Sackeim, STAT, 20 Mar. 2026
Not all wavelengths have received equal attention, however, and some wavelengths have been woefully neglected in recent years.
—Big Think, 11 Mar. 2026
That means people covered by other insurers must find mental health treatment elsewhere, a prospect that’s difficult in a county that, by most accounts, is woefully underserved to meet a fast-growing need for mental health care.
—Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 11 Mar. 2026
The song is one of many that addresses a period where Musgraves was sometimes blissfully and sometimes woefully romantically unattached.
—Melinda Newman, Billboard, 11 Mar. 2026
The tie was decided when stationary West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola saved Dango Ouattara’s woefully taken Panenka effort in the shootout.
—ABC News, 9 Mar. 2026
Imtiaz Rangwala, The Conversation, 1 Apr. 2026
Both instincts may be rooted in good intentions, but both are woefully insufficient for governing a big city like Chicago, especially as the regulatory framework is still taking shape.
—Laura Kavanagh, Time, 27 Mar. 2026
The country had lost a generation of promising students and researchers during World War I; its universities were teaching math in uncoordinated, fragmented ways, using materials that were woefully out of date.
—Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026
Like many in my field, I’ve been frustrated by woefully inadequate options for pain management, shaped by centuries of gender bias and a lack of investment in women’s health research.
—Maryl Sackeim, STAT, 20 Mar. 2026
Not all wavelengths have received equal attention, however, and some wavelengths have been woefully neglected in recent years.
—Big Think, 11 Mar. 2026
That means people covered by other insurers must find mental health treatment elsewhere, a prospect that’s difficult in a county that, by most accounts, is woefully underserved to meet a fast-growing need for mental health care.
—Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 11 Mar. 2026
The song is one of many that addresses a period where Musgraves was sometimes blissfully and sometimes woefully romantically unattached.
—Melinda Newman, Billboard, 11 Mar. 2026
The tie was decided when stationary West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola saved Dango Ouattara’s woefully taken Panenka effort in the shootout.
—ABC News, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for woefully
Adverb
-
Raffles London at The OWO’s interiors impresario Thierry Despont sadly died this summer, before the final unveiling of his oeuvre.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Apr. 2026
-
But, this is sadly a highly attractive spot for dirt, dust, and dead bugs to collect.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
3 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Tesla , whose founder and CEO Elon Musk complained bitterly about the impact, has seen his stock soar nearly 35% in that period.—
Jason Gewirtz,
CNBC,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Generational and ideological battle lines were drawn; perhaps most bitterly, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and aligned super political action committees spent $7 million in this district alone.—
David Daley,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Tarun would tease her, and my mother would look sorrowfully toward Kavitha, as if the two of them now shared some womanly burden.—
Madhuri Vijay,
New Yorker,
16 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Reaching for Miranda's hand, Greta is painfully aware of how unmanicured and rough her nails are.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
After walking for just a few minutes, their legs would painfully freeze up, as if turning to rock — an agony no doctor could explain.—
Alexandra Sifferlin,
STAT,
31 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Third baseman Matt Chapman charged hard and fielded the ball, but the ball popped out of his glove on the exchange.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
No baseball community dies harder, without reward, than the Rockies faithful, spring after spring.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Woefully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/woefully. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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