adj

woeful

WOH-fuhl

Woeful (adj) means Full of sorrow or distress. Example: “She wore a woeful expression as she read the letter.”

adj

Full of sorrow or distress.

"She wore a woeful expression as she read the letter."

Extremely poor or inadequate.

"The team put in a woeful performance, losing five-nil."

How to use woeful

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither genuinely sorrowful, or (more commonly today) shockingly bad or inadequate.

Common pairings

woeful performance woeful lack of a woeful state

Word forms

woefuller comparative, woefullest superlative

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She wore a _____ expression as she read the letter.

Etymology

From Middle English woful, formed from woe plus -ful.

Origin: Middle English

Rhymes for woeful

useful eyeful careful hopeful hateful fateful grateful spiteful forceful graceful wasteful vengeful

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Frequently asked questions

What does “woeful” mean?

The word “woeful” means full of sorrow or distress. In plain terms, either genuinely sorrowful, or (more commonly today) shockingly bad or inadequate.

How do you pronounce “woeful”?

“Woeful” is pronounced WOH-fuhl (/ˈwəʊfəl/ in IPA).

How do you use “woeful” in a sentence?

Here is “woeful” used in a sentence: “She wore a woeful expression as she read the letter.”

What part of speech is “woeful”?

“Woeful” is an adjective.

Where does the word “woeful” come from?

The word “woeful” comes from Middle English. From Middle English woful, formed from woe plus -ful.

How many meanings does “woeful” have?

“Woeful” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: full of sorrow or distress.