Synonyms of woeful
120 similar words
Another word for woeful is depressed. Other synonyms of woeful are miserable, unhappy, sad, heavy-hearted and low-spirited.
Synonyms and similar words for woeful
adjectiveFull of woe; sorrowful; distressed with grief or calamity.
- miserableIn a state of misery: very sad, ill, or poor.
- woeWoeful; sorrowful.
- atrabiliary
- atrabilious
- blithelessWithout happiness or joy; unjoyful; sorrowful; sad.
- dispiritedWithout energy, gusto or drive, enervated, without the will to accomplish, disheartened.
- blueDepressed, melancholic, sad.
- bummed outDepressed, disappointed, in a gloomy mood.
- chapfallenCrestfallen, dejected.
- cheerlessDevoid of cheer; gloomy.
- chopfallenSynonym of chapfallen.
- crestfallen
- cut up Australia, UKEmotionally upset; mentally distressed.
- damp figuratively
- dejectedSad and dispirited.
- depressedUnhappy; despondent.
- despondentIn low spirits from loss of hope or courage.
- disgruntledIn a dissatisfied, frustrated, or upset mood; in a bad temper or ill humour.
- disconsolateCheerless, dreary.
- disheartenedDiscouraged, despairing.
- dismalCausing despair; gloomy and bleak.
- dolefulFilled with grief, mournful, bringing feelings of sadness.
- dolesomeCharacterised or marked by sorrow and grief; doleful; dismal; gloomy.
- downSad, unhappy, depressed, feeling low.
- down in the dumpsSad; lacking engagement or enthusiasm.
- down in the mouthSad or discouraged, especially as indicated by one's facial appearance.
- downcastOf a person: feeling despondent or discouraged.
- downheartedSad, discouraged, in low spirits, unhappy, having no hope.
- downsomeLow-spirited; melancholy.
- dullBored, depressed, down.
- elegiacExpressing sorrow or mourning.
- elegiousMelancholy, miserable, plaintive.
- forlornPitifully sad, wretched, miserable; lonely, especially from feeling abandoned, deserted, forsaken.
- gloomySuffering from gloom; melancholy; dejected.
- glumDespondent; moody; sullen.
- grief-strickenVery sad.
- grievingFeeling or showing sorrow or distress due to loss, especially the death of someone.
- heavy-heartedSad, melancholic.
- heartsoreHeartsick.
- heartsickVery despondent or sorrowful; heartsore.
- inconsolableNot consolable; unable to be consoled or comforted, usually due to grief, disappointment, or other distress.
- infelicitous
- jawfallenDejected, dispirited.
- joylessWithout joy; unhappy, sad.
- lachrymoseTearful, sorrowful, sad, pertaining to tears, weeping, causing tears or crying.
- lowNot high in status, esteem, or rank, dignity, or quality. (Compare vulgar.).
- low-spiritedDisheartened, feeling low, in low spirits.
- lugubriousGloomy, mournful or dismal, especially to an exaggerated degree.
- melancholicFilled with or affected by melancholy—great sadness or depression, especially of a thoughtful or introspective nature.
- melancholyAffected with great sadness or depression.
- moodySulky or depressed.
- mopeyGiven to moping; in a depressed condition, low in spirits; lackadaisical.
- moroseSullen, gloomy; showing a brooding ill humour.
- mournfulFilled with grief or sadness; being in a state in which one mourns.
- plaintiveSounding sorrowful, mournful or melancholic.
- PlutonianOf, relating to, or having characteristics associated with the underworld; dark, gloomy; mournful.
- PlutonicSynonym of Plutonian (“of, relating to, or having characteristics associated with the underworld; dark, gloomy...
- querulousOften complaining; suggesting a complaint in expression; fretful, whining.
- ruthfulFull of sorrow; sorrowful; woeful; rueful.
- sadCausing sorrow; lamentable.
- saddened
- saturnineOf a person: having a tendency to be cold and gloomy.
- shatteredEmotionally defeated or dispirited.
- solemnCheerless, gloomy, sombre.
- sombreDark; gloomy; shadowy, dimly lit.
- sorrowfulExhibiting sorrow; dejected; distraught; sad. (of a person).
- sorrow-riddenFilled with sorrow or sorrows.
- sorrowsomeMarked by sorrow; sad; dreary; sorrowful.
- spiritlessLacking energy, drive, motivation or emotion. Enervated.
- sullenGloomy; dismal; foreboding.
- threneticSorrowful; mournful.
- threneticalThrenetic.
- uncheerfulNot cheerful.
- uncheeryNot cheery; gloomy, pessimistic.
- unconsolableSynonym of inconsolable.
- unhappyNot happy; sad.
- unlivelyNot lively.
- wistfulSad and thoughtful.
- woebegoneOf a person: deeply affected or overwhelmed by suffering or trouble, and so filled with woe (“great distress or...
- wretchedCharacterized by or feeling deep affliction or distress; very miserable.
- lamentful rareReplete with lamentation; mournful.
- lumpish obsoleteMiserable, sad.
- passionate obsolete
- triste rareSad; sorrowful; gloomy.
- tristful archaicSad, melancholic.
adjectiveBringing calamity, distress, or affliction.
- calamitousCausing or involving calamity; disastrous.
- disastrous
- apocalyptic
- cataclysmalAs noisy or destructive as a cataclysm.
- cataclysmicOf or pertaining to a cataclysm; causing great destruction or upheaval; catastrophic.
- catastrophic
- deadly
- debacularOf, like, or pertaining to a debacle; calamitous; tragic; suddenly shameful.
- destructive
- devastatingCausing devastation.
- eradicativeTending or serving to eradicate; curing or destroying thoroughly, as a disease or any evil.
- extirpativeOf, relating to, or pertaining to an extirpation.
- fatalCausing death or destruction.
- harmfulCausing or likely to cause harm or damage; injurious.
- lethalOf, pertaining to, or causing death; deadly; mortal; fatal.
- pernicious
- ruinous
- disadventurous obsoleteUnfortunate; calamitous.
adjectiveLamentable, deplorable.
- ruefulCausing, feeling, or expressing regret or sorrow, especially in a wry or humorous way.
- deplorableTo be felt sorrow for; worthy of compassion; lamentable.
- depressingCausing depression or sadness.
- distressingCausing distress; upsetting; distressful.
- grievousCausing grief, pain, or sorrow.
- heartbreakingThat causes great grief, anguish or distress.
- heartrending
- lamentableCausing sorrow, distress or regret; deplorable, pitiful or distressing.
- regrettableAble to be regretted, especially deserving of regret.
- saddeningCausing feelings of sadness.
- tragicCausing great sadness or suffering.
- upsettingCausing upset; distressing, unsettling, hurtful.
- lachrymable archaicLamentable.
Meaning of woeful
- adjective Full of woe; sorrowful; distressed with grief or calamity.
- adjective Bringing calamity, distress, or affliction.
- adjective Lamentable, deplorable.
woeful in other languages
Questions about synonyms of woeful
- What is another word for woeful?
- Woeful has 120 synonyms on Word.ws, such as depressed, miserable, unhappy, sad, heavy-hearted, low-spirited, grief-stricken and melancholy.
- What does woeful mean?
- Woeful means full of woe; sorrowful; distressed with grief or calamity.
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: woeful (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this page: “Synonyms of woeful.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/woeful. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.