adjective
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expressing or characterized by sorrow
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bringing or causing woe
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pitiful; miserable
a woeful standard of work
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of woeful
A Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at woe, -ful
Explanation
Something woeful is full of sadness, like the woeful little boy who can't find the stuffed bunny he needs to fall asleep. Use the adjective woeful for people or things affected by misery or sorrow. A woeful expression on your face shows you're sad, and a woeful performance in the big kickball game means your team did so badly that you feel miserable about it. Woeful comes from woe, "great sorrow," and its source, the Old English interjection wa. This ancient woeful expression is still used in many languages today.
Vocabulary lists containing woeful
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
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Novel Study: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Chapters 1–6
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The Door in the Wall
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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.
Mr. Petro’s party has a plurality in Congress and Mr. de la Espriella will inherit woeful state finances.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026
Mike Trout presumably has witnessed every possible blooper, blunder and boo-boo in 16 seasons with the woeful Angels.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
But Baroness Brown, chair of the CCC's Adaptation Committee, criticised the "woeful" performance of successive governments in tackling the present and future threats facing the UK from climate change.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
Despite the absences, Liverpool would have been aware of the task against Carrick's resurgent outfit and had all week to prepare, yet still delivered a woeful first-half performance.
From BBC • May 3, 2026
Beside them, there was a loud, woeful bleating that made them both jump, and Koffi looked down at the goat staring indignantly back up at them with large brown eyes.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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.
