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
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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
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of miserable
Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 30 Dec. 2025
This luxuriant, almost decadent virtuosity can feel out of synch with a tale of miserable, penny-pinching extremes.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2025
Over time, international attention to Gaza will fade, particularly if limited violence does not become massive and if the humanitarian situation is miserable rather than catastrophic.
—Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 23 Dec. 2025
Ultimately the findings suggest life for a Roman soldier at Hadrian’s Wall was pretty miserable, the researchers said.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for miserable
Adjective
And with that comes a miserable, complicated, and ironically unenviable predicament for general manager Mike Grier.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 30 Dec. 2025
This luxuriant, almost decadent virtuosity can feel out of synch with a tale of miserable, penny-pinching extremes.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2025
Over time, international attention to Gaza will fade, particularly if limited violence does not become massive and if the humanitarian situation is miserable rather than catastrophic.
—Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 23 Dec. 2025
Ultimately the findings suggest life for a Roman soldier at Hadrian’s Wall was pretty miserable, the researchers said.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for miserable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for miserable
Adjective
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Her family later learned that on April 23, 2021 — the day Parker found his aunt in a bleak mood — Dee had an angry confrontation over financial issues with two employees of the trucking company.—
Christine Pelisek,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
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Some of Tarr’s most memorable scenes feature landscapes, often bleak and despairing settings of decaying Hungarian towns, punctuated with close-ups of characters’ faces.—
John Penner,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This is a no-win situation because one of us will end up unhappy.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
9 Jan. 2026
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The automaker spent much of the year undoing decisions made by the previous CEO, Carlos Tavares, who resigned at the end of 2024, as stakeholders in the company — from dealers to union rank and file — were upset with him and unhappy with his leadership.—
Liam Rappleye,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This gives you a terrible, crushing headache.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Years later, a recluse with recurring nightmares, her terrible past resurfaces.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Volunteers will spend the morning working on a number of projects downtown, with the potential list including painting the dilapidated former Greyhound Bus station site on Almaden Boulevard and working on the Guadalupe River Park trails.—
Sal Pizarro,
Mercury News,
21 Jan. 2026
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Among his best successes, Xintiandi -- launched in a dilapidated part of central Shanghai in the 1990s -- is today an iconic tourist and nightlife district that attracts thousands of visitors daily to retail spots that range from lululemon to Shake Shack.—
Russell Flannery,
Forbes.com,
17 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
According to Jabra’s research, 99% of knowledge workers say poor audio quality impacts their online meetings and call quality.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
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While the pandemic hit everyone all at once, the recovery from that jolt has taken place on two diverging tracks, with the well-off getting wealthier and the poor getting poorer.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Marche feared that ChatGPT-3 meant the end of freshman composition papers, but that’s a pathetic and moribund genre anyhow.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Jan. 2026
-
While having a decent enough defense, the offense was pathetic.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Tate eventually moved in with her family, who rejected Austen; Austen moved to the Staten Island Farm Colony, a pauper’s hospital.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
22 Nov. 2025
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When the new sections were added, the old burying ground became a pauper's cemetery for poor White and and Black residents.—
Alexandria Burris,
IndyStar,
14 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The patient thriller finds Agnes lonely in her seedy motel, with a phone that often rings, though the person on the other end of the line never speaks.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Jan. 2026
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Namir Smallwood stars opposite Coon as Peter, a paranoid former soldier and mysterious drifter who meets her character Agnes, a lonely waitress.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Miserable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/miserable. Accessed 24 Jan. 2026.
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