Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Deplorable |
DeplorableAdjective1. Bad; unfortunate; "my finances were in a deplorable state"; "a lamentable decision"; "her clothes were in sad shape"; "a sorry state of affairs". 2. Of very poor quality or condition; "deplorable housing conditions in the inner city"; "woeful treatment of the accused"; "woeful errors of judgment". 3. Bringing or deserving severe rebuke or censure; "a criminal waste of talent"; "a deplorable act of violence"; "adultery is as reprehensible for a husband as for a wife". Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "deplorable" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1258. (references) |
Synonyms: DeplorableSynonyms: condemnable (adj), criminal (adj), distressing (adj), execrable (adj), lamentable (adj), miserable (adj), pitiful (adj), reprehensible (adj), sad (adj), sorry (adj), woeful (adj), wretched (adj). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Adversity | Adverse, untoward; disastrous, calamitous, ruinous, dire, deplorable. |
Inexpedience | Vile, base, villainous; mean; (paltry); injured; deteriorated; unsatisfactory, exceptionable indifferent; below par; (imperfect); illcontrived, ill-conditioned; wretched, sad, grievous, deplorable, lamentable; pitiful, pitiable, woeful; (painful). |
Pain | Distressing; afflicting, afflictive; joyless, cheerless, comfortless; dismal, disheartening; depressing, depressive; dreary, melancholy, grievous, piteous; woeful, rueful, mournful, deplorable, pitiable, lamentable; sad, affecting, touching, pathetic. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Deplorable |
| English words defined with "deplorable": bedraggled, broken-down ♦ condemnable, criminal ♦ Deplorableness, deplorably, Deplorate, Deploredness, dilapidated, distressing ♦ lamentable, lamentably ♦ pitiful ♦ ramshackle, reprehensible ♦ sad, sadly, sorry ♦ tatterdemalion, tumble-down ♦ unsound ♦ woefully. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "deplorable": Dogs, DUEL ♦ Electricity. (references) |
| Etymologies containing "deplorable": Deploredness. (references) |
| Non-English Usage: "Deplorable" is also a word in the following language with English translations in parentheses. Spanish (deplorable, dismal, miserable, pitiful, poor, regrettable). |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | Well, apparently, we're both suffering from a deplorable lack of curiosity (The Sound of Music; writing credit: Richard Rodgers; Oscar Hammerstein II) I should in fairness add that my taste in music is reputedly deplorable. (A Man for All Seasons; writing credit: Robert Bolt) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title |
Books |
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Author | Quotation |
Byron Dobell | Every generation is convinced there has been a deplorable breakdown of manners. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Business | The treatment of children at these institutions varies from adequate to deplorable. (references) | |
Economic History | Bolivia | Living conditions of the indigenous peoples, who constituted most of the population, remained deplorable. (references) |
Kenya | With the deplorable state of roads, an unhindered influx of used cars in recent years, plus lack of local manufacturing, a growing demand for spare parts and vehicle maintenance in the range of eight to ten percent annually continues. (references) | |
Human Rights | Lebanon | The Chairman of the Commission subsequently stated that "the health conditions of the prisoners are deplorable and require continuous care. (references) |
Lexicography | Devil's Dictionary | DUEL, n. A formal ceremony preliminary to the reconciliation of two enemies. Great skill is necessary to its satisfactory observance; if awkwardly performed the most unexpected and deplorable consequences sometimes ensue. A long time ago a man lost his life in a duel. That dueling's a gentlemanly vice I hold; and wish that it had been my lot To live my life out in some favored spot -- Some country where it is considered nice To split a rival like a fish, or slice A husband like a spud, or with a shot Bring down a debtor doubled in a knot And ready to be put upon the ice. Some miscreants there are, whom I do long To shoot, to stab, or some such way reclaim The scurvy rogues to better lives and manners, I seem to see them now -- a mighty throng. It looks as if to challenge me they came, Jauntily marching with brass bands and banners! Xamba Q. Dar |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| Speaker | Term | Phrase(s) |
George Washington | 1789-1797 | The lives of a number of valuable citizens have thus been sacrificed, and some of them under circumstances peculiarly shocking, whilst others have been carried into a deplorable captivity. |
Thomas Jefferson | 1801-1809 | We know that among the Romans, about the Augustan age especially, the condition of their slaves was much more deplorable than that of the blacks on the continent of America. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| "Deplorable" is generally used as an adjective (general or positive) -- approximately 98.66% of the time. "Deplorable" is used about 149 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Adjective (general or positive) | 98.66% | 147 | 25,998 |
| Noun (proper) | 1.34% | 2 | 245,945 |
| Total | 100.00% | 149 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
Expression using "deplorable": deplorable incident. Additional references. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day |
deplorable | 9 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Language | Translations for "deplorable"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Albanian | për t'i ardhur keq (pitiful, sorry), i vajtueshëm (lamentable, pitiful, regrettable), i mjerueshëm, i mjeruar (unfortunate, wretched). (various references) | |
Arabic | باعث على الأسى, بائس (afflicted, cheerless, desolate, devil, disconsolate, distressed, forlorn, godforsaken, hapless, heel, helpless, lamentable, measly, miserable, paltry, pathetic, penurious, piteous, pitiful, poor, poverty stricken, ratty, sad, scruffy, seedy, sickly, sordid, squalid, unfortunate, unhappy, woeful, wretched). (various references) | |
Bulgarian | окаян (abject, beggarly, despicable, forlorn, miserable, reprobate, squalid, wretched), нежелателен (inadvisable, objectionable, unacceptable, undesirable, unthinkable, unwished), за който трябва да се съжалява (lamentable, regrettable), плачевен (lamentable, piteous, plaintive, plangent, rueful, sad). (various references) | |
Chinese | 可怜 (Pathetic, Pitiful). (various references) | |
Czech | ubohý (crappy, dingy, dismal, down in the mouth, grotty, miserable, paltry, pitiable, poor, sleazy, wretched), politováníhodný (lamentable, pitiable, regrettable, unhappy), hanebný (discreditable, disgraceful, dishonorable, dishonourable, heinous, horrendous, ignoble, ignominious, nasty, nefarious, scurvy, shameful, sordid, squalid, unspeakable, vile, villainous), žalostný (lamentable, measly, pathetic, piteous, pitiable, plaintive, regretful, rueful, woeful, woesome, wretched). (various references) | |
Dutch | verdrietelýk (bleak, dismal, dreary, ghastly, grisly, horrible, nasty, pitiable, sad), spýtig (pitiable, regrettable, sad), grievend (abusive, nasty, pitiable, sad), bedroevend (dismal, miserable, pitiable, sad). (various references) | |
Esperanto | ĉagrena (pitiable, sad). (various references) | |
Farsi | مایه دلسوزی , زار (Lamentable, Vexation), اسفناک (Lamentable, Woeful), رقت انگیز (Pathetic, Piteous, Pitiable, Pitiful). (various references) | |
Finnish | valitettava (regrettable, unfortunate), surkuteltava (lamentable, pitiable, pitiful, regrettable), surkea (dismal, lamentable, miserable, pitiful, sad, wretched). (various references) | |
French | déplorable, pitoyable, lamentable, fâcheux (deranging). (various references) | |
German | bedauernswert (pitiable, pitiful, pitifully, regrettable), bedauerlich (alas, regrettable, regrettably, sad, unfortunate, unfortunately, unhappy, untoward). (various references) | |
Greek | ελεεινόσ (abject, beggarly, disgraceful, forlorn, haggard, miserable, piteous, pitiable, scrub, scrubby, seedy, sorry, wretched), αξιοθρήνητοσ (abject, lamentable). (various references) | |
Hebrew | מצער (dearth, distressing, fewness, grievous, lamentable, littleness, paucity, regrettable, sad, saddening, smallness, sore, sorrowful). (various references) | |
Hungarian | siralmas (abject, lamentable, lugubrious, mournful, piteous, pitiable, sorry, woeful), nyomorúságos (abject, dingy, miserable, pelting, piteous, pitiable, pokey, poky, poverty-stricken, squalid, tin-pot). (various references) | |
Indonesian | patut disayang. (various references) | |
Italian | deplorevole (lamentable, regrettable), inqualificabile (unmarkable, unspeakable). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 嘆かわしい (sad, wretched). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | なさけない (miserable, pitiable, shameful), な'かわしい (sad, wretched), ざ"ね" (bad luck, disappointment, regret), か"し"すべき (alarming), か"し" (admiration, alarming, careful investigation, concern, favour, interest, reporting after careful investigation, retainer who dares to dissuade his lord, satisfaction, Well done!). (various references) | |
Manx | treih-hrimshagh (doleful, lamentable), treih (abject, doughy, drawn, feeble, forlorn, fragile, haggard, miserable, pale, pale-faced, pallid, pasty, pathetic, piteous, pitiable, pitiful, regrettable, rueful, sallow, seedy, sickly, wan, wretched, wretched of thing), moal (backward, belated, decrepit, deliberate, dim, disappointing, dull, enfeebled, feeble, flimsy, gradual, ill, laggard, late, late of fruit, listless, meagre, overdue, pithless, poor, poorly, scraggy, slack, slow, sorry, tardy, tawdry, unimpressive, weak, weak as faith, wretched, wretched of thing). (various references) | |
Norwegian | beklagelig (lamentable). (various references) | |
Pig Latin | eplorableday.(various references) | |
Portuguese | deplorável (chapfallen, pitiable, pitiful, regretful, regrettable, rueful, sad), lastimável (chapfallen, dismal, lamentable, miserable, pitiful, poor, regrettable, rueful, woeful, woesome). (various references) | |
Romanian | deplorabil (lamentable, lamentably, lamenting, mangy, mean), regretabil (grievous, lamentable, lamenting, regrettable, sad, unfortunate, unhappy, wretched), jalnic (beggarly, distressing, doleful, forlorn, heart rending, lamentable, lamentably, lamenting, mangy, mean, miserable, miserably, mournful, pathetic, pathetically, piteous, pitiable, plaintive, rueful, ruefully, sad, sorrowful, sorry, squalid, woeful, wretched). (various references) | |
Russian | прискорбный (lamentable, regrettable). (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | jadan (jejune, lamentable, miserable, pelting, piteous, pitiable, poor, wretched), žalostan (lamentable, lugubrious, mournful, plaintive, regretful, rueful, sad, sorrowful, tearful, tristful, wailful, weepy). (various references) | |
Spanish | deplorable (dismal, miserable, pitiful, poor, regrettable), lastimoso (piteous, pitiable, pitiful, sorry), lamentable (grievous, lamentable, pitiable, pitiably, pitiful, regrettable, rueful, sad, shabby, woeful, woesome). (various references) | |
Swedish | beklaglig (pitiable, regrettable, unfortunate), beklagansvärd (pitiable, wretched), bedrövlig (forlorn, lamentable, sad, woeful). (various references) | |
Turkish | içler acısı, acınacak halde (pathetically, piteous, pitiable, pitiful, sorry, wretched), acınacak (lamentable, pathetic, pitiable, regrettable, rueful, woeful), acıklı (depressing, distressful, distressing, dolorous, hurtful, lugubrious, pathetic, piteous, rueful, sad, sorrowful, tearful, touching, weepy, woeful). (various references) | |
Ukrainian | сумний (afflictive, baleful, cheerless, comfortless, damp, dark, despondent, dismal, doleful, drear, dreary, dumpish, dumpy, elegiac, elegiacal, grievous, heavy-hearted, joyless, lamentable, lugubrious, maddening, melancholy, mournful, overcast, plaintive, regrettable, rueful, sad, sorrowful, unhappy, wailful, wan), злиденний (mendicant, piteous, squalid, starveling), жалюгідний (abject, beggarly, caitiff, contemptible, forlorn, impoverished, lamentable, mean, miserable, parsimonious, piteous, pitiable, pitiful, poor, queachy, snide, sorry, tatty, woeful, woesome, wretched), прикрий (afflictive, aggravating, lamentable, maddening, plaguy, provoking, regrettable, tragic, vexatious), поганий (bad, bum, cheesy, doggerel, ill, inferior, nasty, naught, naughty, objectionable, one horse, punk, rubbishy, shady, sour, third rate, unlovely, weak). (various references) | |
Vietnamese | xấu (baleful, evil, ill-favoured, ill-looking, punk, shabby, sorry, ugly, unbeautiful, unpleasant, wicked, wrong), t"i (doggerel, foul, illy, poor, poorly, punk, rotten, third-rate, threepenny, trashy, wretched). (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | lacrimabilis, plorabilis. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "deplorable": deplorableness, deplorablenesses. (additional references) | |
| |
"Deplorable" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: delorable, deploarable, deporable, diplorable, explorable. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "deplorable" (pronounced duplô"rubul) |
| 6 | -ô" r u b u l | adorable, horrible. |
| 5 | -r u b u l | incurable, arable, bearable, curable, demonstrable, desirable, durable, execrable, impenetrable, terrible, nondurable, parable, repairable, unbearable, undesirable, uninsurable, wearable. |
| 4 | -u b u l | indefatigable, indefensible, indefinable, indelible, indescribable, indestructible, indispensable, indisputable, indistinguishable, indivisible, indomitable, inedible, ineffable, ineligible, inequitable, inescapable, inevitable, inexcusable, inexhaustible, inexorable, inexplicable, infallible, infeasible, inflammable, inflatable, acceptable, accessible, abominable, accountable, achievable, actionable, adaptable, addressable, adjustable, admirable, admissible, adoptable, advisable, affable, affordable, agreeable, allowable, amenable, amendable, amiable, amicable, analyzable, answerable, appealable, applicable, appreciable, approachable, approvable, arguable, attainable, attributable, audible, available, avoidable, bankable, believable, billable, biodegradable, breakable, buildable, burnable, callable, cannibal, capable, changeable, chargeable, charitable, classifiable, collapsible, collectible, Combinable, comfortable, commendable, communicable, comparable, compatible, compensable, comprehensible, conceivable, confirmable, considerable, constable, consumable, contemptible, contestable, controllable, convertible, copyrightable, countable, credible, creditable, crucible, culpable, debatable, deductible, defensible, definable, degradable, delectable, deliverable, dependable, deployable, depreciable, describable, despicable, detachable, detectable, determinable, developable, digestible, disagreeable, discernible, discountable, discoverable, dishonorable, dispensable, disposable, disreputable, distinguishable, divisible, doable, drinkable, drivable, eatable, edible, electable, eligible, Embraceable, employable, enforceable, enjoyable, enviable, equable, equitable, erasable, erodible, estimable, exchangeable, excitable, excludable, excusable, exercisable, expandable, expendable, explainable, exportable, extendable, extendible, fallible, fashionable, fathomable, favorable, feasible, fissionable, fixable, flammable, flexible, forcible, foreseeable, forfeitable, forgettable, forgivable, formidable, fungible, fusible, gullible, habitable, harvestable, heritable, hon, honorable, hospitable, identifiable, illegible, imaginable, imitable, immiscible, immovable, immutable, impassable, impeachable, impeccable, imperceptible, impermissible, implacable, implantable, implausible, imponderable, impossible, impracticable, impregnable, impressionable, improbable, inaccessible, inadmissible, inadvisable, inalienable, inapplicable, inaudible, incalculable, incapable, incomparable, incompatible, incomprehensible, incompressible, inconceivable, incontrovertible, incorrigible, incredible, soluble, solvable, spendable, submersible, suggestible, suitable, supportable, survivable, susceptible, sustainable, syllable, talkable, tangible, taxable, teachable, tenable, inflexible, inheritable, inhospitable, inimitable, injectable, innumerable, inoperable, insatiable, inscrutable, inseparable, insoluble, insufferable, insupportable, insurmountable, intangible, intelligible, interchangeable, interminable, interruptible, intolerable, intractable, invaluable, investable, invincible, inviolable, invisible, invulnerable, irascible, irreconcilable, irrefutable, irremediable, irreparable, irreplaceable, irrepressible, irresistible, irresponsible, irreversible, irrevocable, irritable, issuable, justifiable, knowledgeable, lamentable, laudable, laughable, leasable, legible, liable, likable, likeable, livable, lovable, malleable, manageable, mandible, maneuverable, marketable, measurable, memorable, microwavable, miscible, miserable, moldable, movable, navigable, negligible, negotiable, noncallable, nonconvertible, nondeductible, nonrefundable, nonrenewable, nontaxable, nontransferable, notable, noticeable, objectionable, observable, obtainable, operable, ostensible, palatable, palpable, passable, patentable, payable, peaceable, perceptible, perishable, permeable, permissible, personable, persuadable, pitiable, plausible, pleasurable, pliable, portable, possible, potable, practicable, predictable, preferable, presentable, preventable, printable, probable, profitable, programmable, prosecutable, provable, punishable, questionable, quotable, reachable, readable, realizable, reasonable, receivable, rechargeable, recognizable, recordable, recoverable, recyclable, redeemable, redoubtable, reducible, refundable, regrettable, reliable, remarkable, removable, renewable, rentable, repayable, repeatable, replaceable, reportable, reprehensible, reputable, resealable, resettable, respectable, responsible, retractable, returnable, reusable, reversible, revocable, ridable, salable, saleable, salvageable, seasonable, sensible, serviceable, sizable, sizeable, sociable, tolerable, traceable, tractable, tradable, tradeable, trainable, transferable, transferrable, transmittable, transportable, treatable, tunable, typeable, unacceptable, unaccountable, unaffordable, unalienable, unalterable, unanswerable, unassailable, unattainable, unavailable, unavoidable, unbeatable, unbelievable, unbuildable, uncollectible, uncomfortable, unconscionable, uncontrollable, undeniable, understandable, undetectable, unelectable, unemployable, unenforceable, unenviable, unexplainable, unfashionable, unfathomable, unfavorable, unfeasible, unflappable, unforeseeable, unforgettable, unforgivable, ungovernable, unimaginable, unimpeachable, uninhabitable, unintelligible, unjustifiable, unknowable, unlivable, unmanageable, unmentionable, unmistakable, unobtainable, unpalatable, unpredictable, unprintable, unprofitable, unquestionable, unreachable, unreadable, unreasonable, unrecognizable, unreliable, unremarkable, unsalable, unshakable, unsinkable, unsolvable, unspeakable, unstoppable, unsuitable, unsupportable, unsustainable, untenable, unthinkable, untouchable, untraceable, unusable, unverifiable, unwinnable, unworkable, usable, variable, vegetable, venerable, verifiable, veritable, viable, visible, voluble, vulnerable, washable, winnable, workable. |
| 3 | -b u l | able, amble, assemble, babble, Babel, bauble, bible, bramble, bubble, Bumble, cable, cobble, coble, corbel, crumble, cymbal, dabble, Dibble, disable, disassemble, dissemble, double, Drabble, dribble, enable, enfeeble, ennoble, ensemble, fable, feeble, foible, fumble, gable, gamble, Garble, global, gobble, Gribble, grumble, hardscrabble, herbal, hobble, humble, ignoble, immeasurable, immobile, squabble, Stabile, stable, stubble, stumble, symbol, table, intertribal, jumble, kibble, label, libel, marble, mislabel, mobile, mumble, nibble, nimble, noble, nonverbal, pebble, preamble, psychobabble, quibble, rabble, ramble, reassemble, rebel, redouble, relabel, resemble, Roble, rouble, roundtable, rubble, Ruble, rumble, sable, Scrabble, scramble, scribble, shamble, Sibyl, thimble, timetable, treble, tremble, tribal, trouble, tubal, tumble, turntable, umbel, unable, unscramble, unserviceable, unstable, valuable, verbal, wamble, wobble. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-b-d-e-e-l-l-o-p-r" | |
-2 letters: beadroll, leeboard, operable, repolled. | |
-3 letters: bedrape, bedroll, bleared, bollard, deplore, earlobe, labeled, labeler, labored, lapeled, leopard, paroled, parolee, pearled, pleader, pollard, redpoll, relabel, replead, ropable. | |
-4 letters: aerobe, albedo, areole, balder, balled, baller, beadle, bedell, beleap, belled, blared, bolder, bolled, bordel, boreal, dealer, doable, dollar, elodea, eloped, eloper, ladler, leader, leaped, leaper, loader, loreal. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-b-d-e-e-l-l-o-p-r" | |
+4 letters: deplorableness. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Images: Slideshow 7. Quotations: Familiar 8. Quotations: Non-fiction | 9. Quotations: Speeches 10. Usage Frequency 11. Expressions 12. Expressions: Internet | 13. Translations: Modern 14. Translations: Ancient 15. Derivations 16. Rhymes | 17. Anagrams 18. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
