as in sadly
with feelings of bitterness or grief
woefully recounted the many injustices that the family had endured at the hands of the dictator
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Recent Examples of woefully
For those woefully behind, deploying an executive force could level the playing field.
—
Dean Trevelino, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
For starters, Kentucky is a powerhouse program in a different sport (basketball) much in the same way that the United States dominates other sports while being woefully behind the other world powers in soccer.
—Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026
Our public schools, particularly in poorer school districts, are woefully underfunded.
—Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2026
In the next 111 seconds of game time, the Cavaliers outscored the Raptors 10-0, with Nogueira looking woefully out of place.
—Eric Koreen, New York Times, 27 May 2026
American midsize trucks like the Toyota Tacoma and Ford Ranger can be woefully under-specced for carrying heavy work loads or campers and overlanding gear.
—C.c. Weiss
may 21, New Atlas, 21 May 2026
But this year’s increase will almost entirely net out next fiscal year with a one-time cut of $25 million to generate savings for the woefully over-budget Medicaid program.
—Katy Golvala, Hartford Courant, 16 May 2026
Under its current leadership, customer service has fallen woefully short.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2026
As this was an unprecedented case in which league officials participated in the deception, the remedy is woefully inadequate.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 3 May 2026
Dean Trevelino, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
For starters, Kentucky is a powerhouse program in a different sport (basketball) much in the same way that the United States dominates other sports while being woefully behind the other world powers in soccer.
—Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026
Our public schools, particularly in poorer school districts, are woefully underfunded.
—Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2026
In the next 111 seconds of game time, the Cavaliers outscored the Raptors 10-0, with Nogueira looking woefully out of place.
—Eric Koreen, New York Times, 27 May 2026
American midsize trucks like the Toyota Tacoma and Ford Ranger can be woefully under-specced for carrying heavy work loads or campers and overlanding gear.
—C.c. Weiss
may 21, New Atlas, 21 May 2026
But this year’s increase will almost entirely net out next fiscal year with a one-time cut of $25 million to generate savings for the woefully over-budget Medicaid program.
—Katy Golvala, Hartford Courant, 16 May 2026
Under its current leadership, customer service has fallen woefully short.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2026
As this was an unprecedented case in which league officials participated in the deception, the remedy is woefully inadequate.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 3 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for woefully
Adverb
-
But sadly, this effort is being affected in a negative manner by neighboring counties.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 June 2026
-
An Indianapolis woman reported missing earlier this year along with her seven children has sadly been found dead in Mexico, though her kids are safe, her family told IndyStar.—
Joe Mutascio,
IndyStar,
10 June 2026
Adverb
-
That leaves the volatile Joanne feeling shut out and bitterly resentful.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2026
-
The German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, desperate to connect with the grandeur of antiquity and left bitterly disappointed by his visit to Rome, eventually arrived in this once-vibrant center of the extended Greek empire.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Adverb
-
Tarun would tease her, and my mother would look sorrowfully toward Kavitha, as if the two of them now shared some womanly burden.—
Madhuri Vijay,
New Yorker,
16 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
The effect of Gaza on these particular swing voters lingers painfully in the thoughts of Harris’s most ardent supporters.—
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
15 June 2026
-
Data, Not Models, Is The Bottleneck Companies that invested (sometimes painfully) in clean, governed and accessible data two or three years ago are seeing that investment pay compounding dividends today.—
Irfan Khan,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Adverb
-
The United States often feels more fractured than fraternal, a search for commonality hard to find in a land of boundaries drawn harder each day.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
-
Condos have been hit hard by rising costs associated with ownership, such as HOA dues and homeowners insurance.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Woefully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/woefully. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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