1
as in mournful
expressing or suggesting mourning
the woeful expressions of the players after the humiliating loss
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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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of woeful
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
Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Aikman expressed concern for Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams on Monday night amid a woeful season that saw the Bears’ losing streak drop to eight straight with a loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
—Paulina Dedaj, Fox News, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for woeful 
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
Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Aikman expressed concern for Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams on Monday night amid a woeful season that saw the Bears’ losing streak drop to eight straight with a loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
—Paulina Dedaj, Fox News, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for woeful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for woeful
Adjective
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Angelo Badalamenti’s mournful, string-laden score draws us in, emphasizing the quaintness of the visuals, while also suggesting a deeper pain at the core of this place.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
19 Jan. 2025
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The Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) shared a sorrowful story across their social media feeds about a mournful looking cat.—
TJ Macias,
Miami Herald,
10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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January 26, 2025: Once again, the Bills lose their playoff game against the Chiefs, sparking a bunch of sad Josh Allen edits on TikTok.—
Glamour,
Glamour,
27 Jan. 2025
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In a sad irony, her grieving family strives to live by Maggie’s words and channel her spirit.—
Faith Karimi,
CNN,
26 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Coweta County Fire Rescue continues to be devastated by the tragic passing of Battalion Chief Bart Cauthen.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2025
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At least one desperate Russian command, the 20th Combined Arms Army, has formed assault groups made up of walking wounded—including injured men walking with the aid of crutches—and sent them into battle with predictably tragic results.—
David Axe,
Forbes,
21 Jan. 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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Saquon Barkley is an unstoppable force, the defense is resurgent under Vic Fangio, the chatter about an unhappy A.J. Brown has mostly died down.—
Dianna Russini,
The Athletic,
16 Jan. 2025
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Ratings declined, Lynch was unhappy, and the show was canceled.—
Victoria Edel,
People.com,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Having a professional to talk to can help process and unpack unfortunate changes, and point towards new possibilities.—
Chris Westfall,
Forbes,
16 Jan. 2025
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Far too often over the previous three seasons, unfortunate and often unlucky things happened when Jackson threw the ball in Bateman’s direction.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
The Athletic,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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When Tai Shan was sent to China and separated from his parents, Nguyen was heartbroken.—
Christopher Cann,
USA TODAY,
24 Jan. 2025
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Andrews appeared heartbroken after the loss, and video showed Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson consoling him.—
Doha Madani,
NBC News,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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That faction left the stadium miserable after Daniels’ fifth touchdown pass, a 9-yarder to Jamison Crowder with six seconds remaining, capped a 22-point fourth quarter as Washington rallied for a 36-33 win.—
Ben Standig,
The Athletic,
16 Jan. 2025
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But for Israel and Gaza, the past 15 months have been a miserable failure, and from the perspective of negotiation, the only good news is that both sides taste some of the bitterness.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
16 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near woeful
Cite this Entry
“Woeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/woeful. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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