miserable 1 of 2

adjective

ˈmi-zər-bəl
Definition of miserablenext
1
as in bleak
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer spent the night in a miserable jail cell

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2
as in unhappy
feeling unhappiness the awful news made us miserable

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in terrible
of low quality a miserable meal that I wouldn't feed to a dog

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4
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect a miserable little apartment

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5
as in poor
deserving of one's pity miserable refugees from the war-torn country

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6
as in pathetic
deserving pitying scorn (as for inadequacy) that ugly mutt is one miserable excuse for a dog

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miserable

2 of 2

noun

as in pauper

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of miserable
Adjective
Late in the Bears’ miserable offensive showing against the Vikings at a rainy Soldier Field, Williams was attempting to score the game’s first touchdown in the fourth quarter. — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026 However, the Royals can make life miserable for their division rivals. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2026
Noun
Backup QBs Cam Miller (3-11, two picks) and Quinn Ewers (1-8, one pick) were a combined miserable. — Greg Cote august 16, Miami Herald, 16 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for miserable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for miserable
  1. bleak
  2. unhappy
  3. terrible
  4. dilapidated
  5. poor
  6. pathetic
  7. pauper
  8. lonely
Adjective
  • Whether or not this year takes the top slot in that bleak ranking is still unclear.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Its successes have provided a spark of optimism in what has otherwise been a bleak few months for Ukraine.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of bleak
Adjective
  • Its success made Cohn a rich, if unhappy, man, at least for a long while.
    — Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 6 Oct. 2026
  • What appeared to be a fairly normal election for a president halfway through his term — a probable setback, as unhappy voters register their discontent — has the potential, Cook said, to turn into a disaster for Republicans.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of unhappy
Adjective
  • Platforms prefill a name, email and phone number so a user can submit in one tap without leaving the feed, which is wonderful for a consumer promotion and terrible for a six-figure investment.
    — Jonathan Durante, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Saddled with terrible reviews and negative word-of-mouth, Tom Cruise‘s absurdist dark comedy has cratered at the box office with $8 million in North America and $20 million globally in its first weekend of release.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of terrible
Adjective
  • Protesters have decried dilapidated schools, overcrowded classrooms, staff shortages and inequalities in the education system.
    — Ellen Francis, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Through her nonprofit, UniteWI, owner Bria Grant bought the 112-year-old building from the City of Milwaukee in 2019 in a dilapidated state.
    — Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of dilapidated
Adjective
  • Such diagnoses can carry an extraordinarily poor neonatal prognosis.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Road accidents are frequent in Africa’s most populous country, in part due to poor road conditions and lax enforcement of traffic laws.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • The Chargers' offense mustered a pathetic 14 points all game.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • It’s also brilliantly written as a futile, pathetic rebellion by men with zero agency or purpose in their own lives.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of pathetic
Noun
  • After Blake Street Cemetery stopped accepting new burials in 1931, New Haven began relying on another paupers’ cemetery located on Woodin Street.
    — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 20 July 2026
  • That honest job has, across four generations, fed prime ministers and paupers, cooked for the King and Queen, and quietly funded a one-man legal aid service for survivors of abuse.
    — Afdhel Aziz, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of pauper
Adjective
  • Bilbao seems to be a central character in the film, sometimes portrayed as lonely, dark and gritty.
    — Roberto Prieto, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
  • People report feeling less lonely after chatting with an AI companion, which resembles seeking comfort.
    — Pascal Vrticka, Scientific American, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of lonely

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miserable
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Cite this Entry

“Miserable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/miserable. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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