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
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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
Mary Jane Gibson, Rolling Stone, 29 June 2025
As a result, couples may find themselves in a miserable situation.
—Mark Travers, CNBC, 29 June 2025
According to a 2022 Gallup poll, 19% of employees are miserable at work, and 60% feel emotionally detached.
—Sho Dewan, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
The first half of the Rockies’ 2025 season was miserable, and that’s an understatement.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for miserable
Noun
For years, happiness felt like a harbinger of bad things to come; feeling anxious and miserable was familiar.
—Mary Jane Gibson, Rolling Stone, 29 June 2025
As a result, couples may find themselves in a miserable situation.
—Mark Travers, CNBC, 29 June 2025
According to a 2022 Gallup poll, 19% of employees are miserable at work, and 60% feel emotionally detached.
—Sho Dewan, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
The first half of the Rockies’ 2025 season was miserable, and that’s an understatement.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for miserable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for miserable
Adjective
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Some traders said the numbers were less severe than analysts' bleak forecasts.—
Sabrina Valle,
USA Today,
3 July 2025
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No one is as funny and as bleak in the same sentence, or maybe even the same word.—
Literary Hub
July 1,
Literary Hub,
1 July 2025
Adjective
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This gives the creditor an additional target to pursue and make very unhappy which can indirectly put pressure on the debtor to pay the judgment.—
Jay Adkisson,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
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Circulation increased and the publication won two Pulitzer Prizes, but the owner, conservative Harry Guggenheim, was unhappy with the paper’s shift to the left, and he and Moyers were divided over the Vietnam War and the 1968 presidential election.—
Carmel Dagan,
Variety,
26 June 2025
Adjective
-
Vegas bounced back from a terrible loss to the Fever with an 86-68 win over the Sun on Sunday.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 July 2025
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And because of that, it’s shielded us from the terrible things that happen downstream in the supply chain.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
8 July 2025
Adjective
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Now, as soon as next year, the historic campus will transform into housing with 213 apartments as the city's Department of Metropolitan Development and private developers redevelop dilapidated buildings downtown into residential and commercial spaces.—
Alysa Guffey,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
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But Spencer said replacing old, dilapidated buildings with newer ones could also put the district in a better position to compete with charter schools.—
Silas Allen,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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This last group is those with still poor (<50) RS Ratings, but strong (>80) 3-month RS Ratings. a.—
Randy Watts,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
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But August is perhaps a poor month in which to rally the staff.—
John Updike,
New Yorker,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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The double talk that is presented by both Republicans and Democrats alike is pathetic.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
10 July 2025
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Tehran's retaliation has, so far, been pathetic: a few missiles lobbed at an empty US base, complete with a heads-up.—
Carlo Versano,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 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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While Bowie envisioned an Earth careening toward apocalypse in a flamboyant, theatrical cry, Drake’s five leaves are quieter, lonelier — more like the end of a season than the end of a world.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
5 July 2025
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By January, Musk had transitioned to lieutenant, making up DOGE, complete with cringey swag, like a lonely preteen dreaming up a secret club in his tree house.—
Anita Chabria,
Los Angeles Times,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Miserable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/miserable. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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