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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of woeful
His side were bruised and battered after failing to qualify for the Champions League last season, doomed by a woeful performance at Manchester United on the final Sunday when even a point would have done the job.
—
Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2025
Improving this woeful reality is challenging, and schools aren’t well-positioned to be everything to everyone.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
Yet, whether through gross incompetence, woeful indifference, or some combination thereof, that is exactly what is happening right now in Gaza under the leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu and his government.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 July 2025
At face value, this lacks the detached, woeful quality of Shelley’s line.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for woeful
Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2025
Improving this woeful reality is challenging, and schools aren’t well-positioned to be everything to everyone.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
Yet, whether through gross incompetence, woeful indifference, or some combination thereof, that is exactly what is happening right now in Gaza under the leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu and his government.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 July 2025
At face value, this lacks the detached, woeful quality of Shelley’s line.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for woeful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for woeful
Adjective
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Lush cellos and mournful piano trills coexist with the overall less-is-more sound.—
Jae-Ha Kim,
Rolling Stone,
10 Sep. 2025
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Similarly, the discreetly mournful compositions of Giorgio Matteo and Aki Oliviero’s score hover politely on the periphery of the (in)action, careful not to intrude.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This one is trickier and sadder to think about.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
12 Sep. 2025
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Composite image created by Newsweek shows two older people looking worried and a piggy bank with a sad face on its side.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
This was a senseless and tragic loss.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
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Nicknamed Lucky and Lucky II, two baby pterosaurs who came to a tragic end.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Sep. 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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My research team works hard to keep the email addresses up to date, but executives keep changing their addresses to avoid having to deal with unhappy customers.—
Christopher Elliott,
Mercury News,
10 Sep. 2025
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But few seemed to leave unhappy.—
Jonathan Hawkins,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
This was the unfortunate and tragic outcome.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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This latest ‘oopsie’ also fits an unfortunate pattern.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
And utterly heartbroken for Charlie’s young family.—
Amanda Castro
Gabe Whisnant
Anna Commander
Toby Meyjes
Shane Croucher
John Feng
Joshua Rhett Miller,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
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The woman noted that canceling the shower has left her heartbroken.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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These behaviors create miserable workplace cultures that lead to a big retention and employee engagement problem.—
Ellen Whitlock Baker,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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But the Broncos will look to confuse him with multiple looks and make the Titans one dimensional to make his life miserable.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Woeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/woeful. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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