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
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
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This year, though, is things are looking bleak.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
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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
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Carting around unhappy campers in 100-degree weather and squeezing work into a shorter window is not exactly being poolside with a marg.—
Abby McCloskey,
Twin Cities,
4 June 2026
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Mansfield city hall a point of contention Melissa Perez, who ultimately lost to Simmons in last year’s council race, is one of those unhappy with Mansfield’s leadership and its direction.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 June 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
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Here cavernous sheet-metal market halls rub shoulders with dilapidated clapboard stores.—
Duncan Madden,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
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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
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The second didn’t go nearly as well for Bussi as Karlsson and Howden scored on two of the Golden Knights’ six shots in the period to tie the score at 3-3 heading into the third, the tying goal coming off a Seth Jarvis turnover and a couple of poor defensive plays by Sean Walker and K’Andre Miller.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
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Heat radiates from the pages of this extraordinary novel about a poor family in rural Mississippi in the days leading up to Hurricane Katrina.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
Sports make people a little pathetic.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
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Williams didn't portray Peter Banning as pathetic.—
Cynthia Pelayo,
PEOPLE,
8 June 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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More than half of the American workforce is lonely.—
Chris Schembra,
Rolling Stone,
8 June 2026
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This is what can make the job feel lonely.—
Matthew Warren,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Miserable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/miserable. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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