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miserable definition

mis·er·able (miz′ər ə bəl, miz′rə-)

adjective

  1. in a condition of misery; wretched, unhappy, suffering, etc.
  2. causing misery, discomfort, or suffering miserable weather
  3. bad; inferior; inadequate a miserable performance
  4. pitiable
  5. shameful; disgraceful

Etymology: Fr misérable < L miserabilis, pitiable < miserari, to pity < miser, wretched

noun

Obsolete a miserable person

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

miserable Synonyms

miserable

modif.

  1. In misery

    distressed, afflicted, sickly, ill, wretched, sick, ailing, unfortunate, pitiable, uncomfortable, suffering, hurt, wounded, tormented, tortured, in pain, strained, racked, injured, anguished, agonized, fevered, burning, convulsed; see also troubled 1, 2.

    Antonyms helped*, aided, comfortable*. *

  2. Unhappy

    pained, discontented, sorrowful; see sad 1.

  3. Of very low standard

    sorry, worthless, inferior; see poor 2.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

miserable Usage Examples

Preposition: as

  • sin: And he was as miserable as sin, and he gave me a wretched time all evening.

Adjective complement with noun phrase

  • make: Technology makes people miserable, sparking technology to avoid the miserable people.

Modifies a noun

  • sod: Good thing you're in the Tory party, you miserable sod.

Modifying Another Word

  • downright: I have had many periods in my own life when I have been downright miserable and unhappy.

Used with adjective complement

  • feel: You may feel miserable, like crying, or you may go off your food.

Preposition: of

  • man: I shall be the most miserable of men if you don't.
miserable usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

miserable quotes

It is a miserable state of mind to have few things to desire and many things to fear.

-Bacon, Francis,Viscount St Albans

Quand notre coeur a fait une fois sa vendange, Vivre est un mal. Once our heart has been harvested once, Life becomes miserable.

-Baudelaire, Charles

Imustconfessthat I livea miserable life† I live entirely in my music.

-Behn, Aphra ne¤  e  Amis

miserable quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"miserable." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/miserable>

APA Style

miserable. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/miserable

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