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
Examples of woeful in a Sentence
The puppy had woeful eyes.
The student's grades were woeful.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Chaparrals shot a woeful 13% (2 of 15) in the first half and trailed 26-10 at the break.
—
Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Mar. 2026
This historically woeful Texas defense forced only three turnovers from a 12-19 team that committed 74 over the last six games.
—Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 13 Mar. 2026
The beginning was abysmal for both teams, who combined for a woeful 7-for-44 shooting from 3-point range in the first half while playing to a 45-45 tie at the break.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 11 Mar. 2026
The team was ready to move on — eventually improving its woeful lineup with the addition of Marcell Ozuna — yet McCutchen wasn’t retiring.
—Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for woeful
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Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Mar. 2026
This historically woeful Texas defense forced only three turnovers from a 12-19 team that committed 74 over the last six games.
—Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 13 Mar. 2026
The beginning was abysmal for both teams, who combined for a woeful 7-for-44 shooting from 3-point range in the first half while playing to a 45-45 tie at the break.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 11 Mar. 2026
The team was ready to move on — eventually improving its woeful lineup with the addition of Marcell Ozuna — yet McCutchen wasn’t retiring.
—Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for woeful
Cite this Entry
“Woeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/woeful. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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