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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of woeful
At face value, this lacks the detached, woeful quality of Shelley’s line.
—
The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 10 July 2025
There is nothing that forces a shake-up and introspection more than an Ashes whitewash, and England turned to one of the biggest figures in women’s cricket history after a woeful winter.
—Paul Newman, New York Times, 28 June 2025
In the Dodgers’ 9-7 win against the woeful Colorado Rockies, the veteran slugger went two for five with an early double and a go-ahead home run, keying the team’s six-run rally in the fourth with a three-run blast launched deep to right.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025
The hard-throwing Venezuelan shut out woeful Washington over 5 2/3 innings on Wednesday night.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for woeful
The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 10 July 2025
There is nothing that forces a shake-up and introspection more than an Ashes whitewash, and England turned to one of the biggest figures in women’s cricket history after a woeful winter.
—Paul Newman, New York Times, 28 June 2025
In the Dodgers’ 9-7 win against the woeful Colorado Rockies, the veteran slugger went two for five with an early double and a go-ahead home run, keying the team’s six-run rally in the fourth with a three-run blast launched deep to right.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025
The hard-throwing Venezuelan shut out woeful Washington over 5 2/3 innings on Wednesday night.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for woeful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for woeful
Adjective
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The backstory for the maze follows the mournful tale of Mary Worth following the tragic death of her family.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
20 Aug. 2025
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Soon she’s caught up in a supernatural murder mystery involving fatally beaky crows; dealing with an obsessive, disturbingly round-eyed fan (Evie Templeton); and bickering with mother Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones, who tends to strike a quiet note that seems almost genuinely mournful).—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The song’s a lonely and sad tale, with the narrator pondering his state in the back of the long, white Cadillac.—
Eric D. Lawrence,
USA Today,
30 Aug. 2025
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The whole situation is sad for a number of reasons.—
Will McGough,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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And, of course, no amount of sporting success will ever make people forget the tragic events of 2005.—
Jamie Barton,
CNN Money,
24 Aug. 2025
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While there's plenty of tragic moments on Outlander: Blood of My Blood, the fourth episode of the Starz series is marked by a real-life loss.—
Maureen Lee Lenker Published,
EW.com,
23 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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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
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The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2021
Adjective
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And a surprising amount of grace from staff who, although unhappy with the changes, felt respected.—
Taazima Kala,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
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But the new move enables them to not only cement their life in Windsor for the long term, but also to leave some of those unhappy associations behind them.—
Simon Perry,
People.com,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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No doubt my disdain for Labor Day has everything to do with its unfortunate spot on the calendar.—
Steven P. Dinkin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Aug. 2025
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Admittedly, other mail options are available, with Japan Post’s U-Global Express (UGX) still in effect; this temporary suspension of regular mail from Japan to the US is definitely unfortunate.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Continue reading … 'PRAYERS TO EVERYBODY' – Minnesota Timberwolves star Julius Randle said news of the horrific shooting that left at least two people dead and 17 others injured at a church in his team's home city left him heartbroken.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
28 Aug. 2025
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Adams leads the cast as Marianne, a heartbroken, struggling young painter who escapes to the countryside with her best friends — Lila (Nell Williams, A24’s Huntington) and Betty (Jessamine-Bliss Bell, Bodies) — for what should be a healing retreat.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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But new data reveals doctors and paramedics rank themselves as the most miserable workers.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
31 Aug. 2025
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Lanthimos’ skepticism of humankind’s capacity to evolve is a welcome comfort, as always, in our politically miserable era.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
28 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Woeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/woeful. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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