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
The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 26 May 2026
The New York Times Getting a filling at the dentist can be painful, expensive and generally miserable.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2026
Unfortunately, the politics of getting the United States on a sustainable track are miserable.
—Jared Bernstein, The Atlantic, 25 May 2026
Despite their drumbeats and piercing loud songs, Inter Miami got off to a miserable start on Sunday in a wild final game before the World Cup break.
—Miami Herald, 25 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for miserable
Adjective
But a miserable season is now over, and hopefully lessons will be learned for the future.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 26 May 2026
The New York Times Getting a filling at the dentist can be painful, expensive and generally miserable.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2026
Unfortunately, the politics of getting the United States on a sustainable track are miserable.
—Jared Bernstein, The Atlantic, 25 May 2026
Despite their drumbeats and piercing loud songs, Inter Miami got off to a miserable start on Sunday in a wild final game before the World Cup break.
—Miami Herald, 25 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for miserable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for miserable
Adjective
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For years, radical climate activists have painted a bleak view of the future.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
29 May 2026
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The bleak, desolate masterpiece from 1989’s Pretty Hate Machine was used to great effect in 1995’s Natural Born Killers, the first film soundtrack produced by Reznor.—
Al Shipley,
SPIN,
29 May 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
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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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Common travel regrets stem from preventable issues like poor planning, budget problems, and choosing the wrong companions.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
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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
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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
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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
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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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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 6 Jun. 2026.
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