miserable
adjective
mis·er·a·ble
ˈmi-zər-bəl,
ˈmiz-rə-,
ˈmi-zə-rə-
1
a
: being in a pitiable state of distress or unhappiness (as from want or shame)
miserable refugees
b
: very sick
caught a cold and felt miserable
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
: very unsatisfactory, disappointing, or unpleasant
did a miserable job
a miserable, wet weekend
4
a
: being likely to discredit or shame
the miserable neglect of his family
had a miserable, snide contempt for our country—
Joyce Winslow
Joyce Winslow
b
: deserving to be hated
a miserable tyrant
Synonyms of miserable
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
That being said, the brand of football has been miserable.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 17 May 2026
One is the typical Latin American outcome, which is decades of miserable grinding inflationary stagnation, arising from mediocre government policy.
—Nathan Lewis, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Truly, just about everything went awry during that miserable 76-win slog.
—Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 15 May 2026
Since Irene’s death, Antoine, miserable and pickled in booze, has rattled around in their Paris villa nestled in a leafy garden, with an art studio gathering dust.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for miserable
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Carl Anka, New York Times, 17 May 2026
One is the typical Latin American outcome, which is decades of miserable grinding inflationary stagnation, arising from mediocre government policy.
—Nathan Lewis, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Truly, just about everything went awry during that miserable 76-win slog.
—Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 15 May 2026
Since Irene’s death, Antoine, miserable and pickled in booze, has rattled around in their Paris villa nestled in a leafy garden, with an art studio gathering dust.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for miserable
Cite this Entry
“Miserable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/miserable. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
miserableness
noun
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