miserable
Americanadjective
-
wretchedly unhappy, uneasy, or uncomfortable.
miserable victims of war.
- Synonyms:
- distressed, doleful, disconsolate, forlorn
- Antonyms:
- happy
-
wretchedly poor; needy.
- Synonyms:
- destitute
- Antonyms:
- wealthy
-
of wretched character or quality; contemptible.
a miserable villain.
- Synonyms:
- abject, low, mean, despicable
- Antonyms:
- good
-
attended with or causing misery.
a miserable existence.
-
manifesting misery.
-
worthy of pity; deplorable.
a miserable failure.
- Synonyms:
- lamentable, pitiable
adjective
-
unhappy or depressed; wretched
-
causing misery, discomfort, etc
a miserable life
-
contemptible
a miserable villain
-
sordid or squalid
miserable living conditions
-
mean; stingy
-
(pejorative intensifier)
you miserable wretch
Related Words
See wretched.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of miserable
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin miserābilis, equivalent to miserā(rī) “to pity” (derivative of miser “wretched”) + -bilis -ble
Explanation
Miserable goes way beyond sad — it means absolutely wretched. Someone who's miserable feels absolutely awful. If you were caught in the pouring rain, missed your own birthday party, and then got food poisoning, you wouldn't just feel bad. You'd be miserable — which means exceptionally unhappy. Victor Hugo's novel, Les Miserables ("The Miserable Ones"), is the story of people who live a wretched life filled with death and unhappiness. You might want to bring some tissues if you're heading to the musical!
Vocabulary lists containing miserable
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 1–6
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Curmudgeon, Cantankerous and Churlish: Grouchy Words
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Charlotte's Web
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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.
The Magnificent Seven has quickly become the Miserable Seven for investors this year.
From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026
Instead of “fixing” flying as the author of “Why Flying Is Miserable: And How to Fix It” describes, there’s a better way: Stay home!
From Seattle Times • Dec. 15, 2023
There are few recent book titles that pack the immediate resonance of legal scholar and Vanderbilt law professor Ganesh Sitaraman's "Why Flying Is Miserable: And How to Fix It."
From Salon • Nov. 12, 2023
They emerged to the Coronation Street theme, played Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now and This Charming Man, and left waving bunches of gladioli.
From BBC • Jun. 26, 2023
“The School for Miserable Girls! What a comical name.”
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
