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

• bleak
• lonely
• depressing
• depressive
• dark
• somber
• desolate
• darkening
• cold
• lonesome
• murky
• wretched
• morbid
• grey
• depressed
• solemn
• gray

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

Ellen’s head is a manifestly miserable place to spend time even before she’s injured while working on The Baroness, a macabre occult film made by a gay Jewish man in the twilight of the Weimar Republic and rescued from the secret collection of a dead Nazi. —Samantha Riedel, Them., 29 Oct. 2025

Kansas did an excellent job of pressuring the opposing ball-handlers, getting into shooters’ faces and making life miserable in general for the Cardinals. —Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2025

The flights were miserable, but the anxiety between trips was just as bad. —Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025

Seven of us had straggled back to camp wet and cold from a miserable day’s hunt in a blowing snowstorm. —Bill Shaber, Outdoor Life, 22 Oct. 2025

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