miserable

adjective

mis·​er·​a·​ble

ˈmi-zər-bəl,

ˈmiz-rə-,

ˈmi-zə-rə- 

1

: being in a pitiable state of distress or unhappiness (as from want or shame)

miserable refugees

2

a

: wretchedly inadequate or meager (see meager sense 2)

a miserable hovel

b

: causing extreme discomfort or unhappiness

a miserable situation

miserable weather

his miserable childhood

3

: being likely to discredit or shame

his miserable neglect of his wife

had a miserable, snide contempt for our country

—Joyce Winslow

miserable noun

miserableness noun

miserably

ˈmi-zər-blē

ˈmiz-rə-

ˈmi-zə-rə- 

adverb

Synonyms

• black
• bleak
• cheerless
• chill
• Cimmerian
• cloudy
• cold
• comfortless
• dark
• darkening
• depressing
• depressive
• desolate
• dire
• disconsolate
• dismal
• drear
• dreary
• dreich [chiefly Scottish]
• elegiac
• elegiacal
• forlorn
• funereal
• gloomy
• glum
• godforsaken
• gray
• grey
• lonely
• lonesome
• lugubrious
• morbid
• morose
• murky
• plutonian
• saturnine
• sepulchral
• solemn
• somber
• sombre
• sullen
• sunless
• tenebrific
• tenebrous
• wretched

Examples of miserable in a Sentence

He had a miserable childhood.

My boss is making my life thoroughly miserable with her constant demands and criticism.

He felt lonely and miserable after his divorce.

I've had a miserable cold for the past week.

He lived in a miserable little shack.

Recent Examples on the Web

But despite the huge commercial success of three straight albums, singer and bassist Curt Smith was rather miserable. —Mark Gray, People.com, 25 Oct. 2024

There's also the Cats' increasing inability to protect the QB, and Fifita's miserable game against Colorado to consider. —Matthew Self, The Arizona Republic, 24 Oct. 2024

An audio recording posted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) illustrates just how miserable the cough can be. —Don Rauf, EverydayHealth.com, 16 Oct. 2024

Bottom line Alpaca has become my go-to for making chilly days less miserable. —Jennifer Heimlich, SELF, 16 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin miserabilis wretched, pitiable, from miserari to pity, from miser

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing miserable

• (as) miserable as sin

Kids Definition

miserable

adjective

mis·​er·​a·​ble ˈmiz-ər-bəl 

ˈmiz-(ə-)rə-bəl

1

a

: shabby in condition or quality

a miserable place to live

b

: causing great discomfort or unhappiness

a miserable cold

2

: extremely poor or unhappy : wretched

3

: pitiful sense 1, lamentable

miserableness noun

miserably

-blē 

adverb