woeful

adjective

woe·​ful ˈwō-fəl How to pronounce woeful (audio)
variants or less commonly woful
1
: full of woe : grievous
woeful prophecies
2
: involving or bringing woe
3
: lamentably bad or serious : deplorable
woeful ignorance
woefully adverb
woefulness noun

Examples of woeful in a Sentence

The puppy had woeful eyes. The student's grades were woeful.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Things seemed to reach a boiling point after the team’s 20-17 loss to the woeful Panthers in Germany. Charlotte Carroll, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025 The night was a downhill slope, a movement in woeful reverse, a tidal pull back into the tumult and dangerous madness of what must now be called the era of Trump. Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2024 Advertisement Despite the turmoil, Rodgers has passed for 23 touchdowns, with eight interceptions, for a team that has more talent than its woeful record indicates. Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 20 Dec. 2024 The biggest digit, of course, is the $16 million annually Harbaugh was awarded on a five-year deal to flip L.A.’s woeful script. Jay Paris, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for woeful 

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of woeful was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near woeful

Cite this Entry

“Woeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/woeful. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

woeful

adjective
woe·​ful ˈwō-fəl How to pronounce woeful (audio)
1
: full of woe
a woeful tale
2
: involving or bringing woe
a woeful occurrence
3
: pitifully bad
woeful ignorance
woefully adverb
woefulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on woeful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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