Synonyms of woefully

woefully

adverb

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sadly
• bitterly
• sorrowfully
• painfully
• hard
• mournfully
• grievously
• sorely
• wretchedly
• unhappily
• regretfully
• sharply
• harshly
• agonizingly
• severely
• dolefully
• ruefully
• lugubriously
• resentfully
• dolorously
• plaintively
• inconsolably
• wailfully
• hardly
• abjectly
• dismally
• miserably
• distressingly
• despairingly
• dejectedly
• drearily
• forlornly
• dispiritedly
• cheerlessly
• acutely
• despondently
• disconsolately
• distressfully
• darkly
• joylessly
• morosely
• sullenly
• glumly
• pessimistically
• cruelly
• somberly
• poignantly
• blackly
• dourly
• gloomily
• keenly
• downheartedly
• mirthlessly
• ill
• piercingly
• hurtfully
• crestfallenly
• low-spiritedly
• rancorously

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• blissfully
• happily
• joyously
• joyfully
• gladly
• cheerfully
• gleefully
• merrily
• easily
• delightedly
• cheerily
• gaily
• lightly
• casually
• lightheartedly
• blithely
• indifferently
• calmly
• stoically
• well
• nonchalantly
• unconcernedly
• impassively
• dispassionately
• favorably
• sunnily
• mirthfully
• good-naturedly
• rejoicingly
• blithesomely

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of woefully

However, hiring of CDC scientific staff and budget support for high-consequence pathogen programs are woefully slow and insufficient. — Daniel Jernigan, STAT, 26 Sep. 2026

The most effective adaptation, by his reckoning, is ensuring that workers earn enough to protect themselves beyond the factory gates—a need highlighted by continuing protests over what many say is a woefully inadequate minimum wage. — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026

Even though people have been waiting for the robot takeover for more than a century, governments seem woefully unprepared for the coming of the androids by the millions or by the billions. — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026

Doctors of the time were woefully unable to treat her—and their contemporaries were notoriously unkind about her condition. — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026

My career was insulted, and I was mocked for fumbling around while attempting to juice a pineapple with a woefully inadequate kitchen utensil. — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026

And some elements of it seem inarguably true, such as the idea that Clancy’s psychiatric care was woefully uncoordinated. — Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026

In addition, many stations are woefully dirty and could use cleaning, repairs and a coat of paint. — Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026

Today, only about 14% of private-sector workers have pensions, a major transformation in the retirement landscape that experts cite as one reason many Americans are woefully short on savings. — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026