WOEFUL Synonyms: 257 Similar and Opposite Words

woeful

adjective

ˈwō-fəl

Definition of woeful

as in mournful

expressing or suggesting mourning the woeful expressions of the players after the humiliating loss

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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

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.

Recent Examples of woeful The woeful run defense and pass rush didn’t prevent them from making a run in the playoffs last season. — Kevin Fishbain, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026 Green Bay’s pass rush could be woeful without the star edge rusher. — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 2 Sep. 2026 Although when seen up close or for prolonged periods, the digital dinos are remarkably bland and unimpressive — I was reminded of the notoriously bad CGI in the woeful Ray Bradbury movie A Sound of Thunder (2005). — Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2026 After a woeful June, one that had even the club’s most fervent supporters hovering their hands over panic buttons, the Braves have burst out of the All-Star break with vengeance on offense. — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 20 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for woeful

Recent Examples of Synonyms for woeful

Adjective

East Suffolk, a windblown span of marshy coastland, has a reputation for stark, mournful beauty, and for drawing creative people with a taste for isolation and escape.

— Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
And after Flaco the Eurasian eagle-owl died in 2024, dozens of mournful fans gathered to say goodbye to the beloved creature who flew around Manhattan and became a joy to many after someone let him out of his zoo enclosure the previous year.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of mournful

Adjective

Encouragement from his longtime confidante and collaborator helped the comedian write about the loss of his beloved home before Reiner’s tragic killing in December 2025 alongside his wife, Michele, in Brentwood.

— Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Reynolds, a Black disabled man with a limb difference, is given a character of substance that isn’t tragic or inspirational.

— Kristen Lopez, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of tragic

Adjective

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
The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.

— Helen Shaw, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2021

Definition of weeping

Adjective

Neighbors shocked about stabbing Neighbors say Thomas was known to have mental health issues and called the stabbing unfortunate.

— Bryan Lynn, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
To make matters worse, India’s Supreme Court, another vital democratic institution, has also played an unfortunate role in this train of events.

— Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of unfortunate

Adjective

While mourning her father, the heartbroken Sara uses a piece of chalk to draw a circle on the floor of the attic resembling the one Rama creates to protect Sita.

— Sohini Sarah Pillai, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire honored Macy at a county Board of Supervisors meeting Wednesday, telling community leaders that her death had left his office and the wider community heartbroken.

— Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of heartbroken

Adjective

Sunday’s 31-24 loss to Cincinnati – the latest miserable day during this depressing season - crystallized several issues that general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and coach Jeff Hafley must navigate in the days and weeks ahead.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2026
Probably get out and do that, like, half-walk, half-jog thing and then show up, like, really sweaty and miserable.

— Zach Schiffman, Curbed, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of miserable

Browse Nearby Words

woebegone

woeful

woefully

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“Woeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/woeful. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of woeful

adjective

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