Woeful

Expressing or characterized by deep sorrow, regret, or distress; marked by tragedy and misfortune. 'Woeful' suggests a state of profound sadness often brought about by loss, hardship, or failure. It can describe not only feelings but also situations, events, or appearances that evoke feelings of deep sorrow. The term implies a sense of helplessness in the face of overwhelming sadness and may indicate a prolonged or recurring state of unhappiness. It often denotes a feeling of great misfortune or being burdened by grief.

Woeful meaning with examples

• The news of the village being destroyed by the sudden landslide left him feeling woeful and utterly hopeless, knowing that many lives were changed irrevocably that day, leaving him feeling deeply burdened.
• Her woeful tale of losing her job, her home, and her savings left the listeners in sympathetic silence; they felt her loss as they hung onto her narrative of pain and displacement.
• The woeful state of the abandoned building, with its broken windows and crumbling walls, spoke volumes about the town's economic decline, and the impact of neglect over so many years.
• His performance in the play was woeful, filled with missed lines and awkward movements, leaving the audience unimpressed and him deeply ashamed and apologetic to the cast.