woefulness

noun

Definition of woefulnessnext
as in oppression

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for woefulness
  1. oppression
  2. unhappiness
  3. melancholy
  4. misery
  5. despair
  6. suffering
  7. dreariness
  8. dejection
Noun
  • James, as always, brings his Dickensian eyes and ears to his birth country’s gay culture, which flourished in its own way even during years of oppression and misinformation.
    — Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The state is actually putting in so much money to maintain a system of oppression in order to maintain its iron grip on power.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of oppression
Noun
  • Allen is among several NFL players who have expressed unhappiness with artificial turf.
    — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Overall, though, the extent of unhappiness over pricing appears to be relatively mixed, with most clubs’ supporters’ trusts and groups having more limited grumbles.
    — Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of unhappiness
Noun
  • Beneath all the sensuality and beauty, there’s also a lingering melancholy that feels very familiar to me.
    — Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 16 June 2026
  • Don Hertzfeldt occasionally comes to mind for a similarly pervasive mood of questioning, philosophical melancholy.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 12 June 2026
Definition of melancholy
Noun
  • Jordan, to whom scorn comes more naturally than grace, accuses him of envying the rest of the troupe’s ennobling misery.
    — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Some residents said hope is elusive given the island’s litany of miseries – from natural disasters to a bankrupt government to a financial control board that manages funding for infrastructure.
    — Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of misery
Noun
  • Along with a brief moment of tenderness Sara experiences with her class’s resident dork, this feminine camaraderie makes for a nugget of niceness in a sea of despair.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Yet the film’s firmest punch is packed in the despair and dignity of Sul’s performance, as a man coming to terms with how much he’s lost.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of despair
Noun
  • A great deal of flourishing and suffering happens between people, not just within them, because human beings are relational beings.
    — David H. Rosmarin, Time, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Experts have cautioned that Iran’s repressive regime is unlikely to be swayed by the suffering of ordinary citizens and is prepared to wait out economic hardship longer than Americans can endure high gas prices.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of suffering
Noun
  • Jonestown afflicted Naipaul’s vision, his way of deciphering not just political manias but the dreariness of urban life, the perpetual doom of the nuclear-arms race.
    — Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 14 July 2026
  • Days shorten, shadows lengthen, and the cold and dreariness of winter return.
    — Thomas A. DuBois, The Conversation, 17 June 2026
Definition of dreariness
Noun
  • In the end, Gizelle’s team triumphs, prompting more dejection from Vicki.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 17 Aug. 2026
  • This has been one of Norway’s great months and reaching the end of the line was as much cause for pride as dejection across the capital.
    — Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 12 July 2026
Definition of dejection
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.

Browse Nearby Words

woefully
woefulness
woes
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Cite this Entry

“Woefulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/woefulness. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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