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
Ellise Shafer, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
By the end of the year, Alfred Tennyson, lately miserable, misanthropic, semi-broke, and semi-feral, had been made the Poet Laureate of England.
—Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Wearing them for an hour is miserable, let alone a whole day.
—Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 8 Feb. 2026
And finally, the charges dismissed but his family gone, Campbell won a miserable kind of freedom.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for miserable
Adjective
Since Heathcliff seems to lose all redeeming qualities after Cathy’s death, turning into a truly miserable and vengeful man, book devotees likely have a far less romantic vision of him than what is presented in the film.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
By the end of the year, Alfred Tennyson, lately miserable, misanthropic, semi-broke, and semi-feral, had been made the Poet Laureate of England.
—Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Wearing them for an hour is miserable, let alone a whole day.
—Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 8 Feb. 2026
And finally, the charges dismissed but his family gone, Campbell won a miserable kind of freedom.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for miserable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for miserable
Adjective
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The economy was looking bleak, Retter said.—
Sophie Hartley,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
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Chelsea 2-0 Burnley West Ham vs Bournemouth Quietly, from what looked like a bleak position five weeks ago, West Ham have given themselves a fighting chance of Premier League survival.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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For Adams’ Laura, its restorative properties are compromised by ever-present memories of her unhappy childhood, many of them directly associated with the family’s gorgeous summer house.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Feb. 2026
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Competitive equity playoffs There’s still coaches unhappy with the Southern Section competitive equity playoff system using computer algorithms to place teams in divisions.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The question was about the student section’s harassment of former Spartan Xavier Booker, which seemed like a legitimate query considering Booker had a terrible game.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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The move was expected because Hill, who played for the Chiefs from 2016-‘21 before being traded to the Dolphins, is recovering from a terrible knee injury.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Through the window that day, Smith-Dean saw a potential gold mine for the community, where many who passed by on Spring Avenue saw only a dilapidated structure.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Feb. 2026
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Crows roost on its dilapidated shingles and fly off simultaneously, like a choreographed murder.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Policymakers globally are increasingly worried that the unequal adoption of AI risks widening income and development gaps between rich and poor countries.—
Hanna Ziady,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
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In November, Jesse Jackon was hospitalized again after suffering a fall while protesting poor campus living conditions with students at Howard University.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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For a film such a this to arrive in a FIFA World Cup year is a stark reminder of the entwinement between soccer and corruption, and De Pauw’s performance as Mayor Dumont — a man inclined to compartmentalize and pass the buck — is wonderfully pathetic.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
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These clowns don't even have the courage of their pathetic White supremacist convictions.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In fact many of the characters—even Big Gunna, one of the great larger-than-life paupers of Laxness’s oeuvre—did live in Mosfellsdalur and went by the names Laxness gives them in the book.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Feb. 2026
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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
Adjective
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Biographers invariably describe Jackson as feeling lonely and different as a child.—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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Being in the entertainment industry can feel really lonely.—
Cierra Black,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Miserable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/miserable. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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