Les Misérables

American  

[ley mee-zey-ra-bl^uh] / leɪ mi zeɪˈra blə /

noun

1. a novel (1862) by Victor Hugo.

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Les Misérables Cultural  

1. (1862) A novel by Victor Hugo. The central character, Jean Valjean, is sentenced to prison for stealing a single loaf of bread. Later, seeking respectability, Valjean is hounded by his archenemy, Inspector Javert.

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The broad canvas of Hugo's novel has been adapted for numerous films and a long-running Broadway (see also Broadway) musical (usually known as Les Miz).

Example Sentences

The late Herbert Kretzmer, who wrote the English libretto for Les Misérables, felt he was not given enough credit for transforming the original French musical into the hugely popular English-language version, letters have revealed.

From BBC • Oct. 2, 2025

Starlight Express and a 40th anniversary performance from Les Misérables.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2025

Gilroy set to work meticulously highlighting the Maine-area colloquialisms and metaphors and building out Detective Mackey as a Javert-type villain, echoing the relentless inspector in Victor Hugo’s "Les Misérables."

From Salon • Mar. 23, 2025

“The sewer is the conscience of the city,” wrote the poet and novelist Victor Hugo, of Les Misérables fame.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 16, 2024

One was a weeknight performance of Les Misérables at a theater not far from the office.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama