deplorable
Americanadjective
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causing or being a subject for grief or regret; lamentable.
the deplorable death of a friend.
-
causing or being a subject for censure, reproach, or disapproval; wretched; very bad.
This room is in deplorable order. You have deplorable manners!
adjective
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lamentable
a deplorable lack of taste
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worthy of censure or reproach; very bad
deplorable behaviour
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of deplorable
1605–15; < French déplorable < Middle French, equivalent to deplor ( er ) ( see deplore) + -able -able
Explanation
Deplorable is an adjective used to describe something extremely bad or unfortunate, like the deplorable destruction and loss of life in Japan after the earthquake and tsunami. Deplorable comes from the French word déplorer meaning "to give up as hopeless," meaning something is so bad, there is no hope of improvement like the deplorable actions of the arsonist who burned down the museum filled with priceless antiques. Deplorable can also describe something that is of terrible quality or unhealthful, like the deplorable state of the area under your bed — is that a moldy sandwich under there?
Vocabulary lists containing deplorable
The Book Thief
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Grade 11, List 4
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"A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Ladies of the Deplorable Choir led an off-key rendition of the national anthem.
From The New Yorker • Nov. 2, 2018
Deplorable living conditions for any adult, police said.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 14, 2018
Deplorable sanitary conditions help spread the liver-damaging virus that lives in feces.
From Washington Times • Dec. 7, 2017
Deplorable friends, I am buying 500 coffee makers tomorrow to give away!!
From BBC • Nov. 13, 2017
“Was it the Deplorable Word that made the sun like that?” asked Digory.
From "The Magician's Nephew" by C. S. Lewis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
