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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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of miserable
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2025
In other words, to make the Cuban people miserable.
—Charles Hammer, Kansas City Star, 27 Aug. 2025
Over time, these practices can make nights less miserable and mornings far less groggy.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 25 Aug. 2025
Everybody had a miserable pandemic experience, but yours sounded especially challenging until the Peacemaker opportunity came along.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for miserable
Noun
Lanthimos’ skepticism of humankind’s capacity to evolve is a welcome comfort, as always, in our politically miserable era.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2025
In other words, to make the Cuban people miserable.
—Charles Hammer, Kansas City Star, 27 Aug. 2025
Over time, these practices can make nights less miserable and mornings far less groggy.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 25 Aug. 2025
Everybody had a miserable pandemic experience, but yours sounded especially challenging until the Peacemaker opportunity came along.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for miserable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for miserable
Adjective
-
Matters only got more bleak in the sixth, when Rushing fouled a ball off his right shin, smoking a ball right above where his guard ended and immediately going down in pain.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
-
The one constant is the unhappy couple’s bleak surroundings.—
Adam Solomons,
IndieWire,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Both Ways on Netflix The Lovebirds In the 2020 adventure comedy The Lovebirds, Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani play an unhappy couple on the brink of splitting up.—
James Mercadante,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
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But surveys have also shown many reservists are unhappy with the cabinet's plans, some openly accusing the government of lacking a cohesive strategy, a post-war plan for Gaza or a clear benchmark for victory.—
Emily Rose,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Overall, this wasn’t a terrible episode, but having our heroes start in the UK and then end up in Spain in the first episode felt rushed and wasteful.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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Both men are good, both men are bad and both men have made terrible mistakes.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Dayna is unemployed and newly single, and an out-of-the-blue opportunity to fix up a dilapidated mansion into an influencer house seems like her ticket to a new life.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
31 Aug. 2025
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Nearly two weeks after San Jose began dismantling its largest homeless encampment, the city is set to open its first-ever safe sleeping site, which will provide tents for dozens of the approximately 370 residents who have lived in dilapidated RVs and squalor at Columbus Park.—
Devan Patel,
Mercury News,
31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
But prorating three years of player profits down to 12 months, as UEFA’s rule does, reduces the immediate efficacy of successful trading in the market, the very strategy that poorer clubs increasingly rely on to climb the ladder.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
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Like most extended car warranty providers, CarShield excludes pre-existing conditions that existed before your warranty took effect, as well as damage resulting from poor maintenance, neglect or intentional abuse.—
Brian Sloan,
CNBC,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The end of that era came slowly, through the pathetic collapse of Syria and Lebanon as functioning states, and then quickly, when Israel began touching Hezbollah in unexpected places.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Want the poop on this pathetic history?—
Brian Domitrovic,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The county is required by law to continue its deceased pauper program, which is being transferred to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office.—
Ciara McCarthy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Aug. 2025
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Alvarez is the pauper of the group, with Judge and Soto combining for $1.125 billion in salary over the lives of their contracts.—
C. Trent Rosecrans,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
Adjective
-
Tour can be lonely, even when you’re surrounded by people.—
Kim Gordon,
Rolling Stone,
3 Sep. 2025
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But without the necessary business acumen in their teams, these technology leaders fight lonely battles.—
Alex Brueckmann,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Miserable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/miserable. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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