ˈmi-zər-bəl
1
as in bleak
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
spent the night in a miserable jail cell
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unhappy
feeling unhappiness
the awful news made us miserable
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in terrible
of low quality
a miserable meal that I wouldn't feed to a dog
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect
a miserable little apartment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in poor
deserving of one's pity
miserable refugees from the war-torn country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in pathetic
deserving pitying scorn (as for inadequacy)
that ugly mutt is one miserable excuse for a dog
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Mark Critchley, New York Times, 2 June 2026
The $50 million playland opened in miserable Memorial Day weekend weather, but 12,000 visitors still showed up.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026
Let’s survey the wreckage of another miserable day at the ballpark.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
But the Union are off to a miserable start to the 2026 season, finding themselves in last place in the MLS with seven points at 1-10-4 after 15 matches.
—Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for miserable
Adjective
Yet last summer, even after a miserable 15th-place finish and without European football to offer, United saw off competition from Premier League rivals to sign players such as Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, and committed to a hefty £235million ($316m at current exchange rates) spend.
—Mark Critchley, New York Times, 2 June 2026
The $50 million playland opened in miserable Memorial Day weekend weather, but 12,000 visitors still showed up.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026
Let’s survey the wreckage of another miserable day at the ballpark.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
But the Union are off to a miserable start to the 2026 season, finding themselves in last place in the MLS with seven points at 1-10-4 after 15 matches.
—Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for miserable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for miserable
Adjective
-
This year, though, is things are looking bleak.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
-
Charli and preeminent pop divas Olivia Rodrigo and Ariana Grande are releasing some of the bleakest music of their careers just in time for summer, the traditional season for party anthems and celebratory bangers.—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
What’s leaving one unhappy child at home compared to sending five hundred people home from the theatre happy?—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
Shohei Ohtani almost became the most unhappy pitcher to ever be part of throwing a no-hitter.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Historically, South America has proven irresistible to certain inhabitants of the northern hemisphere eager to escape the consequences of their terrible actions.—
David Futrelle,
Washington Post,
4 June 2026
-
In retrospect, the Supreme Court decision that opened the widespread legalization of sports betting was a terrible, terrible mistake.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
Here cavernous sheet-metal market halls rub shoulders with dilapidated clapboard stores.—
Duncan Madden,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
-
The Urban Institute detailed in 2024 how declining government funding for public spaces had left many dilapidated and underutilized, or privatized and no longer free.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
26 May 2026
Adjective
-
Common travel regrets stem from preventable issues like poor planning, budget problems, and choosing the wrong companions.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
-
O’Farrell’s inclination for narratives propelled by brutal coincidence and fatally poor timing tenders a Hardy-esque vision of the world, one that emphasizes the rigid, often cruel limits of an individual’s jurisdiction over the course of their life.—
Rachel Vorona Cote,
Vulture,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
By then, Thomsen says, the public perception had shifted from regarding it as tough and controversial to seeing it as desperate and pathetic.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
-
The plan involved discovering a long lost princess, hopping on a plane to London, breaking into a museum store room, and enlisting the help of a very pathetic historian.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
Bournemouth are not a pauper club any more, but the performance this season has still be remarkable.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
-
The Titanic is still a subject of worldwide fascination, in part because of the range of passengers aboard the ship, from paupers to plutocrats.—
Jill Lawless,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Its trio, a lonely fox-deer, an axolotl apprentice healer and a red panda Viking, travel through a darkening natural world as the series folds identity, belonging and environmental crisis.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
1 June 2026
-
Brunson is hardly a lonely talent.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Miserable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/miserable. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
