deplorable

adjective

de·​plor·​able di-ˈplȯr-ə-bəl How to pronounce deplorable (audio)
Synonyms of deplorable
1
: deserving censure or contempt
deplorable behavior
: wretched
deplorable living conditions
2
: lamentable
a deplorable death
deplorableness noun
deplorably
di-ˈplȯr-ə-blē How to pronounce deplorable (audio)
adverb

Synonyms of deplorable

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of deplorable in a Sentence

we will not tolerate such deplorable behavior in a house of worship condemned the deplorable conditions in which the family was living
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Over 60 dogs and cats were rescued after they were found living in deplorable conditions in Fayette County, police say. — Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 4 June 2026 The children remained mostly confined to a small room in the house, investigators said, under deplorable conditions. — Julie Carr Smyth, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026 Shiite and Sunni Muslims have been killing each other for centuries, and the status of women in some Muslims countries is deplorable. — Kenneth Seeskin, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026 The Legislature amended DeSantis’ scheme to exempt schools, but that only made a deplorable idea marginally less terrible. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for deplorable

Word History

Etymology

see deplore

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of deplorable was in 1612

Rhymes for deplorable

See All Rhymes for deplorable

Browse Nearby Words

deplorability
deplorable
deploration
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Deplorable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deplorable. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

deplorable

adjective
de·​plor·​able di-ˈplōr-ə-bəl How to pronounce deplorable (audio)
-ˈplȯr-
1
: deserving to be deplored : lamentable
a deplorable accident
2
: very bad : wretched
deplorable conditions
deplorableness noun
deplorably
-blē How to pronounce deplorable (audio)
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on deplorable

Nglish: Translation of deplorable for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All