woefully
Americanadverb
-
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.
-
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
Etymology
Origin of woefully
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.
Dr Rob Williams, president of the BVA, welcomed the move, calling the legislation "woefully outdated".
From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026
He has also spearheaded efforts to reform a woefully slow acquisition system, minimize stifling regulations, and take advantage of an innovative private sector.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026
Opting to pursue enterprise customers, Anthropic seemed woefully behind OpenAI in the consumer realm — until now.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 6, 2026
“If crypto jurisdiction is given to the agency, enforcement is woefully understaffed to handle it,” one says.
From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026
The installation of exhibits and company pavilions within the Electricity Building was woefully behind schedule.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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.
