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
- miserableness noun
- miserably adverb
- quasi-miserable adjective
- quasi-miserably adverb
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
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.
Jorginho alleged that, after the girl sat down, a “large security guard” came over and interrupted their breakfast to generally make their lives miserable.
From Los Angeles Times
He knew, too, that it wasn’t all miserable.
There was a new nurse at Dr. van Veen’s and I spent a miserable, silent half-hour in the waiting room.
From Literature
Chessum said England's final-round display was an improvement but could not mask a miserable Six Nations campaign that returned only one victory from five matches and led to a fifth-place finish.
From BBC
“I don’t know,” I say, miserable that I’ve remembered something else, but not anything helpful.
From Literature
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.
