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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of woeful
These absences, these crutches so often used to share the team’s load, were only compounded by the woeful start that Leeds made.
—
Beren Cross, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
The policies' broad popularity should come as no surprise, given that Americans are losing nearly $32 billion in wages every year as a result of our country's woeful lack of family-friendly policies.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025
Saxon at first resists the narcotic temptation, much like his father did, but soon gives into peer pressure (…much like his father did too, to woeful results).
—Dan Heching, CNN, 17 Mar. 2025
Not only is the Philadelphia Flyers’ most consistent offensive weapon for the past few years enduring a woeful scoring slump, with just one goal in his last 21 games, but he’s had to watch as the organization has sold off some of his closest friends.
—Kevin Kurz, The Athletic, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for woeful
Beren Cross, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
The policies' broad popularity should come as no surprise, given that Americans are losing nearly $32 billion in wages every year as a result of our country's woeful lack of family-friendly policies.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025
Saxon at first resists the narcotic temptation, much like his father did, but soon gives into peer pressure (…much like his father did too, to woeful results).
—Dan Heching, CNN, 17 Mar. 2025
Not only is the Philadelphia Flyers’ most consistent offensive weapon for the past few years enduring a woeful scoring slump, with just one goal in his last 21 games, but he’s had to watch as the organization has sold off some of his closest friends.
—Kevin Kurz, The Athletic, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for woeful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for woeful
Adjective
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At the vigil, the atmosphere appeared to be both mournful and celebratory of Scooter’s life.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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Season four will be the last for The Righteous Gemstones, and there are signs in this mournful (and vulgar/hilarious) episode that this extremely American empire may be going the way of Kelvin’s treehouse.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Kwong grew up hearing stories of every kind about Manzanar—scary, sad, funny and infuriating.—
Rachel Ng,
Smithsonian Magazine,
27 Mar. 2025
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Yet, whatever the deal means for Paul, Weiss, its acquiescence to Trump marks a sad day for the legal profession—or what once was a profession, and is now just another business.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The December fatal shooting of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson allegedly by Luigi Mangione serves as an extreme and tragic example.—
T. Christian Miller,
ProPublica,
12 Apr. 2025
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The episode is fundamentally a story about relationships, good and ill. 3. 'San Junipero' (Season 3, 2016) Romantic, gratifying but also deeply tragic, this retro-futuristic episode starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Mackenzie Davis is Emmy-winning and beloved by fans for a reason.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
11 Apr. 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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Despite his close relationship with Trump, Elon Musk is unhappy about tariffs, which stand to hurt the business empire of the world’s richest man.—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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There have even been reports of police being called to deal with the rowdy behavior, not to mention some theater employees who are unhappy about the cleanup required.—
Lisa Respers France,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The self-deportation of a University of Florida student reveals the new reality for many immigrants — any brush with the law can set off a chain of unfortunate events.—
Clara-Sophia Daly,
Miami Herald,
10 Apr. 2025
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This ancestor of mine was born at a good time for ornate garments, but at an unfortunate time and place for tuberculosis.—
Denise Snodell,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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King was on an errand to pick up a snack for his mom when he was shot, heartbroken relatives said.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
18 Apr. 2025
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Downs recovered from her injuries but remained heartbroken over the loss of her friends and overwhelmed with survivor's guilt.—
Laurel Morales,
NPR,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Before Minecraft, the turnout for major films at the box office has been middling to miserable.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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Daryl was born in 1952, four years after the club’s last championship and just in time for four decades of miserable baseball on the lakeshore.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Woeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/woeful. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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