woefully

Sometimes wo·ful·ly

[woh-fuh-lee]

adverb

1. in a sad or miserable way.

   More often than I care to remember, I’ve been stumped for suitable small talk and have ended up staring woefully into my drink.

2. to a particularly regrettable or unfortunate degree.

   The treatments prescribed by this psychiatrist are at best woefully inadequate, and at worst, make the patients more disabled than when they started out.

Other Word Forms

• unwoefully adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of woefully¹

woeful ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

Dr Botha added that pain relief for pregnant women was "woefully lacking", with Tylenol being one of the only safe options for the population.

From BBC

In 2009, the American Civil Liberties Union and the United Farm Workers union sued Cal/OSHA, saying the statute was too weak and the agency’s enforcement was “woefully inadequate.”

From Los Angeles Times

“This is just the latest attempt by the Newsom administration to promote the woefully inadequate and inequitable voluntary agreements, undercutting bare minimum protections,” Overhouse said.

From Los Angeles Times

The government has described the wider leasehold system in England and Wales as "feudal", and that it had "fallen woefully short of the dreams of homeowners".

From BBC

My body was holding up all right, even if I was falling woefully behind the other workers and for stretches was almost alone.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• acutely 
• badly 
• greatly 
• sadly 
• severely