Definitions

deplorable

[dih-plawr-uh-buhl, -plohr-] / dɪˈplɔr ə bəl, -ˈploʊr- /

ADJECTIVE

unfortunate, shameful

Synonyms

STRONGEST

dire disastrous disgraceful distressing dreadful grievous horrifying intolerable lamentable miserable regrettable reprehensible scandalous terrible tragic unbearable unsatisfactory wretched

WEAK

afflictive awful blameworthy bummer calamitous dirty dishonorable disreputable dolorous downer execrable faulty godawful grim heartbreaking heartrending lousy melancholy mournful opprobrious overwhelming pitiable poor rotten sad sickening stinking woeful

Antonyms

STRONGEST

acceptable bearable blessed fortunate good happy lucky nice pleasant respectable satisfactory successful tolerable wonderful

WEAK

cheerful delightful excellent shameless

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.

And all his rhetoric was deplorable: He, without any credible evidence, blames the flu vaccine for potentially triggering his SD.

From Slate • Apr. 18, 2026

"What happened was barbaric, deplorable and shameful. We want the strictest punishment for those responsible," said Badshah Mian, managing director of Pioneer Knitwear.

From BBC • Feb. 15, 2026

I’ve always thought the latter has long served as a decoy: No matter how deplorable Homer Simpson might be, Peter Griffin will be worse.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

"They left me there all night, with damp walls, toilets in a deplorable state with hundreds of cockroaches and fecal matter that has built up over months," Castro recounted.

From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026

Cohen emphasizes that denial, though deplorable, is complicated.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Vocabulary lists containing deplorable

The Book Thief

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Grade 11, List 4

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"A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift

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