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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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
Ben Standig, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025
But for Israel and Gaza, the past 15 months have been a miserable failure, and from the perspective of negotiation, the only good news is that both sides taste some of the bitterness.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2025
The bustle of city life in Cairo, once celebrated, became a source of miserable congestion as transport became mechanized and streets grew clogged with hot, crowded buses stuck in interminable traffic.
—Foreign Affairs, 14 Jan. 2025
The Bruins’ overtime win over the Florida Panthers provided a brief moment of joy in what has been a miserable January.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 13 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for miserable 
Adjective
That faction left the stadium miserable after Daniels’ fifth touchdown pass, a 9-yarder to Jamison Crowder with six seconds remaining, capped a 22-point fourth quarter as Washington rallied for a 36-33 win.
—Ben Standig, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025
But for Israel and Gaza, the past 15 months have been a miserable failure, and from the perspective of negotiation, the only good news is that both sides taste some of the bitterness.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2025
The bustle of city life in Cairo, once celebrated, became a source of miserable congestion as transport became mechanized and streets grew clogged with hot, crowded buses stuck in interminable traffic.
—Foreign Affairs, 14 Jan. 2025
The Bruins’ overtime win over the Florida Panthers provided a brief moment of joy in what has been a miserable January.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 13 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for miserable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for miserable
Adjective
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Matt Harrison, president of Kuka Home North America, which has a furniture manufacturing base in Monterrey, fears the future could be bleak.—
David Culver,
CNN,
18 Jan. 2025
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The negotiations have seemingly stalled and the market for him is bleak.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Witherspoon presents Margot not as some unhappy bachelorette, but as a modern, self-reliant woman.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
29 Jan. 2025
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The Thailand-set season sees a new crop of unhappy, rich vacationers at a luxurious resort.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
27 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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While this is terrible for the environment, customer satisfaction, and retailers’ bottom lines, the truth is the industry has created a monster and easy and free returns have become the basic consumer expectation.—
Steve Dennis,
Forbes,
22 Jan. 2025
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Gerulaitis’s gallows humour deflects from the fact that his terrible records against Connors and Borg took a big toll on his confidence.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
The Athletic,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Meanwhile, the Eagles were able to rest their starters and still coast against the dilapidated Giants.—
Hank Gola,
New York Daily News,
10 Jan. 2025
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But owners Five Dallas Partners — which shares ownership with CBZ Management, the company that controls several dilapidated properties in Denver and Aurora — have taken no action to secure the property, Chamberlain wrote.—
Seth Klamann,
The Denver Post,
10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The Texans’ offensive line was mostly poor this season, unable to consistently protect Stroud.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
The Athletic,
24 Jan. 2025
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Understand that poor sleep hygiene can negatively impact the quantity and quality of sleep.—
Dominique Fluker,
Essence,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Something drastic has to be done with this pathetic group of men masquerading as basketball players.—
Ticked Off,
Orlando Sentinel,
24 Jan. 2025
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On Vanderpump Rules, this man was smug, pathetic, punchable.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
14 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The Frasers find out that Jane has been buried in an unmarked grave in a pauper’s field, news that devastates Frances.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
17 Jan. 2025
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He was made to leave a pauper after years of hard work.—
Kanak Kapur,
The New Yorker,
5 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Sadly, Jesse died in July 2024, leaving Ruben grief-stricken and lonely.—
Kendall Malinchock,
USA TODAY,
28 Jan. 2025
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The sun will undergo this process in around 5 billion years, ending its life as a lonely, cooling stellar ember.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
27 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Miserable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/miserable. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
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