woeful

[ woh-fuhl ]

adjective

1. full of woe; wretched; unhappy:

   a woeful situation.

2. affected with, characterized by, or indicating woe:

   woeful melodies.

3. of wretched quality; sorry; poor:

   a woeful collection of paintings.

   Synonyms: awful, dreadful, unlikely, unpromising

woeful

/ ˈwəʊfəl /

adjective

1. expressing or characterized by sorrow
2. bringing or causing woe
3. pitiful; miserable

   a woeful standard of work

Derived Forms

• ˈwoefulness, noun
• ˈwoefully, adverb

Other Words From

• woe·ful·ly adverb
• woe·ful·ness noun
• un·woe·ful adjective
• un·woe·ful·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of woeful¹

A Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; woe, -ful

Example Sentences

It is an important issue given the vast number of generators belching out fumes across Nigeria as a result of the woeful power supply.

From BBC

Fellow starter Walker Buehler is also set for free agency, after bouncing back from a woeful regular season with a memorable postseason performance.

From Los Angeles Times

Despite a woeful regular season in his return from a second career Tommy John surgery, Buehler showed signs of life at the end of the campaign.

From Los Angeles Times

The weight of Shohei Ohtani, the whiplash of Betts, the woeful starting pitching, all of it was deftly handled by a manager who has won eight division titles in his nine seasons.

From Los Angeles Times

The 22-year-old's absence from the team after undergoing surgery has coincided with their woeful form, though he is getting closer to returning to full fitness.

From BBC

Related Words

• appalling
• awful
• calamitous
• deplorable
• disappointing
• disastrous
• dreadful
• feeble
• grim
• lamentable
• lousy
• miserable
• paltry
• pathetic
• pitiful
• shocking
• sorry
• wretched