How to Use the Word Deplorable in a Sentence

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Throughout history, creating casts and labeling people according to their appearances or choices have been very frequent in many communities.

With time, conceptions of things changed as well as our relationships with one another.

Also, through centuries, many terms have changed their connotations or weigh especially in progressive societies, where personal freedoms are enforced in the name of fairness but also as a way for people to live more harmoniously while forming a community. 

In other words, languages change with time and, in the same way, some words lose their initial purpose.

Although casting systems have faded in some parts of the world, language sophistication has allowed us to make some words more fluid and more acceptable, even when political correctness is often the norm. 

And while the “deplorables” may have been outcasts at some point, under new realities and contexts the term may have been used to describe people with different or conflictual opinions.

 

What is the meaning of the expression “Deplorable”?

The word deplorable is used to describe something shockingly bad in quality or something deserving strong condemnation. If someone lives under inhuman conditions most of their lives, then they are said to live under “deplorable” conditions. This word seems to rhyme with anything capable of threatening human dignity, a certain code of conduct, or behavior often described as pathetic. 

 

How to use the word “deplorable” in a sentence?

A person can use the word to describe something disgraceful, shameful, lamentable, or even regrettable. 

 

Sarah: Was his condition as deplorable as you described?

Marcia: He is in a lot of pain, the worst pain of his life.

You can use the word to describe physical pain, possibly linked to a disease.

 

Cain: My nephews are often described as children with deplorable manners.

Claudia: Yes, children today do not seem to respect anything

Here, the word is used to describe a societal phenomenon such as bad manners showcased by children.

 

“The living conditions of this woman are deplorable. This could cause damage to her mental health.”

You can use the word to describe a social condition affecting human dignity, such as extreme poverty.

 

“Their behavior was so deplorable that they were asked to leave the union by noon”

You can use the term to describe a behavior or group of behaviors seen as being more than disrespectful.

 

Tom: It is deplorable that your file did not get approved because you provided the right documentation.

Maria: Yes, I still cannot believe it got rejected a second time

The word can also hold a less aggravated connotation when used in the context of fairness.

 

Jillian: Thomas have you sent the letters to mom?

Thomas: No, I will do so when I have the time

Jillian: What do you mean? It is almost Christmas Eve!

Thomas: Please…Let me sleep a few more hours, and I will take care of it.

Jillian: This is so deplorable. How do you sleep at night?

Thomas: Err…Whatever!

Here, on a more conversational tone and when it comes to a more casual register, the word loses its alarming and negative connotation, to give place to sarcasm and even a playful type of ambiance between the two communicators.

 

When is the word “deplorable” appropriate?

The word deplorable itself has a very marginalizing implication, almost as if it carried a sentence to it separating those identified as deplorable from those who do not fall under that category.

In other words, it could be a grave insult when used against an individual.

For instance, you can describe your neighbors as “deplorable” because you do not agree with them or with their lifestyle. But this type of judgment tends to hide a certain sense of hatred toward your peers.

However, it is a word that should be used very carefully and possibly for issues that have a public consensus, like, for instance, a crime or behavior that goes against the beliefs and norms of the greater number. 

It is normally the case for crime stories that spark national attention or that shake a whole community. In these cases, a serial killer or a predator’s acts could be described as “deplorable” acts.

The term can also depict a personal opinion when it comes to humanitarian issues, like, for instance, horrible human conditions affecting children, impoverished people, and any other type of individuals or things exposed to harsh and unbearable living conditions.

In this case, for situations like the great famine in Ethiopia or Yemen, one would say that the women and children in these two countries are living under “deplorable” inhuman conditions.

On a more intimate or casual setting a behavior that tends to annoy people from the same background finding themselves in an argument, the word is used more as an impulsive reaction rather than an insult or a serious statement. 

In this case, the person would use the word “deplorable” as an exclamation expressed under the influence of rage or anger.

Overall, if one wishes to use the word “deplorable” in its right context, it should be when attempting to describe or criticize things that affect the human condition and dignity in a bad way.

The word does not hold much weight when used amongst friends or family members. 

But it is better to choose your words wisely when dealing with acquaintances or during a conflict with strangers because, in this case, the word deplorable could be an aggravating insult.

And, after all, the best thing in life would be to avoid having conflictual relationships with others.  

 

Where does the expression “Deplorable “come from?

The word was borrowed from the French word “déplorable”, which is believed to have first been used in the French language by the early 17th Century.

The word is derived from the Latin word “dēplōrābilis”, and although it may have survived different social systems and histories it has kept the same aggravated and negative connotations, throughout different eras.

Certainly, first used among the French Aristocracy, the word usage today has declined over the last 2 Centuries, where it was more commonly used during the 19th and 20th Centuries.