adjective

woeful

/ˈwoʊ.fəl/ · say it: WOH·fuhl

full of sorrow

In Emotions & Moods

In more detail

1. (adjective) very sad, unhappy, or full of sorrow

2. (adjective) very bad or of poor quality

Examples

1. She had a woeful expression on her face after hearing the bad news.
2. The team's woeful performance in the first half cost them the game.

How to use woeful

Woeful is a somewhat literary or formal adjective that conveys deep sadness or expresses strong disapproval of something very deficient. When describing emotional states, it suggests melancholy or despair; when criticizing quality or adequacy, it emphasizes severity and disappointment. The emotional sense is less common in modern usage than the critical sense.

Common phrases

woeful lack of
woeful inadequacy
woeful expression
woeful performance
woeful state of affairs

Synonyms

sorrowful · mournful · doleful · dismal · deplorable

Opposites

joyful · excellent · outstanding

Word family

woefully (adverb) · woefulness (noun)

A common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse woeful with wasteful; woeful means sad or of poor quality, while wasteful means extravagant or using resources excessively.

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