ˈmi-zər-bəl
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unhappy
feeling unhappiness
the awful news made us miserable
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of miserable
Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 22 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
The beef between Wilson, now a backup with the Giants, and Payton, now the coach for the Denver Broncos, stems from a long, miserable season the pair endured together during their 2023 campaign in the Mile High City.
—David K. Li, NBC news, 22 Oct. 2025
Suzuki will now take on the challenge of getting the Angels back to contention after a miserable decade.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for miserable
Noun
But my entire school life was miserable.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 22 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
The beef between Wilson, now a backup with the Giants, and Payton, now the coach for the Denver Broncos, stems from a long, miserable season the pair endured together during their 2023 campaign in the Mile High City.
—David K. Li, NBC news, 22 Oct. 2025
Suzuki will now take on the challenge of getting the Angels back to contention after a miserable decade.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for miserable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for miserable
Adjective
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These are bleak times, and as fans continue to mourn the club’s decline, West Ham’s hierarchy have shifted their focus to the January transfer window.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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As with many of Burton's best films, the real magic is the nuggets of human profundity hidden within the bleak imagery and whimsical comedy.—
Chris Snellgrove,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Manchester City 3-1 Bournemouth Sunderland vs Everton David Moyes has not been back on the touchline at the Stadium of Light since his unhappy spell in charge of Sunderland ended in relegation in 2017.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
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But if Brown is that unhappy with his status on the team, perhaps moving him would be addition by subtraction, as Florio suggested.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The heiress was involved in a terrible car accident in 1929, which left her with life-long medical issues.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
26 Oct. 2025
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And keeper Caoimhin Kelleher, once Alisson’s backup with Liverpool, has improved after a terrible start.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Now, charred and dilapidated buildings dot the small city center.—
NPR,
NPR,
25 Oct. 2025
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Opening in a dilapidated house in Montana, Ramsay drops us in 'possibility', somewhere anything could happen.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The apology came after a sustained campaign by historians and activists who argued that the victims were persecuted for being poor, vulnerable, or simply different.—
James Frater,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
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As has Mark Flekken, the new goalkeeper, who moved from Brentford and is fortunate not to have lost his place due to poor form.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The Panthers’ defense was largely effective against a pathetic Jets offense, which could barely muster movement at home.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
19 Oct. 2025
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And Craig Waterman, the marketing executive from the 2024 film Friendship, took Robinson into new territory with a darker and more pathetic take on the same neurotic type.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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There were also prisoners, paupers and unclaimed bodies who went into mass graves, including remains of 39,307 Catholics at Holy Cross.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
25 Oct. 2025
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Instead, town officials buried him in a pauper’s grave.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Chesky described having a lonely childhood, pulled between his love for creative design and sports, never really fitting in.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
29 Oct. 2025
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The film stars newcomers Kåre Hedebrant and Lina Leandersson as Oskar and Eli, two lonely kids living in the same apartment block in a small Swedish city in winter.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Miserable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/miserable. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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