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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of miserable
Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
Seven of us had straggled back to camp wet and cold from a miserable day’s hunt in a blowing snowstorm.
—Bill Shaber, Outdoor Life, 22 Oct. 2025
The beef between Wilson, now a backup with the Giants, and Payton, now the coach for the Denver Broncos, stems from a long, miserable season the pair endured together during their 2023 campaign in the Mile High City.
—David K. Li, NBC news, 22 Oct. 2025
Suzuki will now take on the challenge of getting the Angels back to contention after a miserable decade.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for miserable
Noun
But my entire school life was miserable.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
Seven of us had straggled back to camp wet and cold from a miserable day’s hunt in a blowing snowstorm.
—Bill Shaber, Outdoor Life, 22 Oct. 2025
The beef between Wilson, now a backup with the Giants, and Payton, now the coach for the Denver Broncos, stems from a long, miserable season the pair endured together during their 2023 campaign in the Mile High City.
—David K. Li, NBC news, 22 Oct. 2025
Suzuki will now take on the challenge of getting the Angels back to contention after a miserable decade.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for miserable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for miserable
Adjective
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These are bleak times, and as fans continue to mourn the club’s decline, West Ham’s hierarchy have shifted their focus to the January transfer window.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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As with many of Burton's best films, the real magic is the nuggets of human profundity hidden within the bleak imagery and whimsical comedy.—
Chris Snellgrove,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Following Dombrowski’s comments and his belief that Harper is unhappy with his current contract situation, Sherman opened the door to a potential offseason trade that sends Harper elsewhere.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
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People who will be sent there include those who let their poor unhappy doggies bark endlessly, those who throw trash on the beach and those who hunt exotic animals for sport.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The heiress was involved in a terrible car accident in 1929, which left her with life-long medical issues.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
26 Oct. 2025
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And keeper Caoimhin Kelleher, once Alisson’s backup with Liverpool, has improved after a terrible start.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Forgetting Derry’s communal traumas is as much a part of the town’s firmament as the scenic canals, the nearby Air Force base where Charlotte’s hubby Leroy (Jovan Adepo) has been newly posted, and the dilapidated house at 29 Neibolt Street.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
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The dilapidated wooden trim and sagging porticos were spruced up a few years ago after preservationists complained to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, but the upstairs windows reveal glimpses of peeling paint, crumbling plaster, and collapsing ceilings inside.—
Kim Velsey,
Curbed,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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There’s another element of the current concern regarding due process that relates to the fate of poor Cinna.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
23 Oct. 2025
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McDaniel’s debut album Lost Ones delves into his own story of growing up in a poor community in Kentucky, and dealing with mental health struggles, both personally and within his family — as well as McDaniel’s story of being saved during a past suicide attempt years ago.—
Jessica Nicholson,
Billboard,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The Panthers’ defense was largely effective against a pathetic Jets offense, which could barely muster movement at home.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
19 Oct. 2025
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And Craig Waterman, the marketing executive from the 2024 film Friendship, took Robinson into new territory with a darker and more pathetic take on the same neurotic type.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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There were also prisoners, paupers and unclaimed bodies who went into mass graves, including remains of 39,307 Catholics at Holy Cross.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
25 Oct. 2025
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Instead, town officials buried him in a pauper’s grave.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Leave it to Shane Black to turn the lonely act of screenwriting into a contact sport.—
Benjamin Svetkey,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Oct. 2025
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One of the more criminally underrated films of the genre, this Frankenstein-esque tale stars Angela Bettis as the title woman, a lonely sort whose sole friend is a doll made by her mom.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Miserable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/miserable. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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