Pronunciation: [wˈə͡ʊfə͡l] (IPA) 
The word "woeful" is spelled with the combination of letters "w-o-e-f-u-l". It has two syllables with the stressed vowel sound being "o" as in "go". The IPA phonetic transcription for "woeful" is /ˈwəʊ.fəl/. The first syllable is pronounced as "wuh" with a reduced vowel sound, while the second syllable has a long "o" sound followed by the schwa vowel sound "əl". The word "woeful" means extremely sad or full of woe.
Woeful is an adjective that describes something or someone as being full of woe, grief, or profound sadness. It conveys a sense of extreme sorrow or distress, often accompanied by disappointment or despair. The term is frequently used to describe situations, events, or conditions that are lamentable, tragic, or pitiful.
When applied to a person, woeful characterizes their deeply troubled state of mind or appearance, indicating a great deal of unhappiness or suffering. It can also imply a sense of haplessness or helplessness, as if the person or their circumstances are beyond their control.
In a broader context, woeful is used to express dissatisfaction or disappointment regarding something that is perceived as a failure or inadequate. It suggests a feeling of deep dissatisfaction or regret in regards to a particular outcome.
Additionally, woeful can describe something that is considered to be very poor in quality, performance, or effectiveness. It implies a lack of skill, talent, or effort, resulting in an unsatisfactory or disappointing result.
Overall, the word woeful encompasses a wide range of emotions and situations associated with sorrow, grief, disappointment, distress, or unfortunate circumstances.
The word "woeful" comes from Middle English "woful", which itself was derived from the Old English word "wofulȝe". In Old English, "wofulȝe" combined the words "wo" (meaning grief or sorrow) and "fulȝe" (meaning full). This ultimately gives "woeful" its meaning of being full of sorrow or causing great distress.
