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
Kristin Canning, Wired News, 21 May 2025
Williams, for the most part, had a miserable series until Sunday’s grand finale.
—Shane Young, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Because holy smokes did those contestants look positively miserable at that reward challenge out on the water.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 15 May 2025
Allergies can make anyone miserable, especially when traveling.
—Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for miserable
Adjective
Protecting yourself doesn’t have to be a totally miserable experience.
—Kristin Canning, Wired News, 21 May 2025
Williams, for the most part, had a miserable series until Sunday’s grand finale.
—Shane Young, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Because holy smokes did those contestants look positively miserable at that reward challenge out on the water.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 15 May 2025
Allergies can make anyone miserable, especially when traveling.
—Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for miserable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for miserable
Adjective
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At the same time, others who attended this year’s California Democratic Party Convention dismissed any notion that the future of the Democratic Party is bleak.—
Linh Tat,
Oc Register,
31 May 2025
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The early options on the GOP side are bleak: Neither Donalds nor Casey DeSantis, the governor’s wife who’s said to be interested in succeeding him, is the moderate Florida so desperately needs now.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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Reports suggested that Daltrey was unhappy with Starkey’s playing on the night, and a number of songs were cut short.—
Thomas Smith,
Billboard,
29 May 2025
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Netflix In a recent interview with Harper's Bazaar, Ortega revealed that the massive success following 'Wednesday' actually left her unhappy.—
Jeremy Hanna,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 May 2025
Adjective
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Kids these days have attention spans crushed under the terrible weight of TikTok and Instgram.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
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My heart goes out to the victims of this terrible tragedy, and the Great People of Boulder, Colorado!—
Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
2 June 2025
Adjective
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In Los Angeles, $500,000 gets you a dilapidated hut in the hood with a permanent police siren soundtrack.—
Rafael Perez,
Oc Register,
30 May 2025
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Stay Here: The Spanish family behind Vestige Collection is on a mission to breathe life into the country’s crumbling landmarks and dilapidated palaces.—
Siobhan Reid,
Vogue,
28 May 2025
Adjective
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Meanwhile, African roads are broadly in a poor state, with only 818,000 km of them paved.—
Alexander Onukwue,
semafor.com,
5 June 2025
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Massive clouds of pollutants could collide in North Carolina this week and result in poor air quality conditions for millions.—
Evan Moore,
Charlotte Observer,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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Anyone who tells you different is a liar (and pathetic, and alone in life).—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
30 May 2025
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The politicized fantasy and horror films by Ryan Coogler and Jordan Peele are merely pathetic.—
Armond White,
National Review,
23 May 2025
Noun
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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
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Chelsea are hardly paupers domestically — no Premier League team is nowadays — but there’s a clear financial advantage in finishing higher up the table.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Set in a town ruled by absurd karate law, the film watches as a lonely teen forms an unlikely bond with the ghost of his late father’s favorite action hero.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
27 May 2025
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If there was no Stitch, Lilo would have remained a lonely girl, and Nani silently suffering from her massive responsibilities.—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Miserable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/miserable. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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