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.
And for as woeful as Walker’s offense was over the last month, his .333/.353/.545 line over his past 11 games (which includes a homer and 10 RBI) suggests a breakthrough is near. Katie Woo, New York Times, 30 May 2025 Sure there are occasional bad losses like a late-inning collapse in the rain on May 5 against the San Diego Padres or last Friday’s 3-2 loss to the woeful Colorado Rockies, but for the most part the good outweighs the bad. Larry Fleisher, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025 This is a woeful misunderstanding of the Bill of Rights. Editorial, Boston Herald, 24 May 2025 Agathe Robinson is beset by two classic problems: horrible writer’s block and a woeful inability to find a good man. Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 20 May 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Woeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/woeful. Accessed 4 Jun. 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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