miserable

UK: /ˈmɪzərəb^əl/

US: /ˈmɪzərəbəl, ˈmɪzrə-/

US: (miz′ər ə bəl, miz′rə-)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

mis•er•a•ble /ˈmɪzərəbəl, ˈmɪzrə-/   adj. 

1. unfortunate, unhappy, or uncomfortable:
   a miserable beggar.
2. evil;
   hateful;
   contemptible:
   a miserable villain.
3. having, showing, or causing misery:
   a miserable failure.

mis•er•a•bly, adv. 

: He failed miserably in his last few games.

See -miser-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

mis•er•a•ble  (miz′ər ə bəl, miz′rə-), adj. 

1. wretchedly unhappy, uneasy, or uncomfortable:
   miserable victims of war.
2. wretchedly poor;
   needy.
3. of wretched character or quality;
   contemptible:
   a miserable villain.
4. attended with or causing misery:
   a miserable existence.
5. manifesting misery.
6. worthy of pity;
   deplorable:
   a miserable failure.

• Latin miserābilis, equivalent. to miserā(rī) to pity (derivative of miser wretched) + -bilis -ble
• late Middle English 1375–1425

mis′er•a•ble•ness, n. 
mis′er•a•bly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 1. forlorn, disconsolate, doleful, distressed. See wretched. 
• 2. destitute.
• 3. despicable, mean, low, abject.
• 6. pitiable, lamentable.

Antonyms

• 1. happy.
• 2. wealthy.
• 3. good.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

miserable / ˈmɪzərəb^əl ˈmɪzrə-/ adjective

1. unhappy or depressed; wretched
2. causing misery, discomfort, etc: a miserable life
3. contemptible: a miserable villain
4. sordid or squalid: miserable living conditions
5. mean; stingy

Etymology: 16th Century: from Old French, from Latin miserābilis worthy of pity, from miserārī to pity, from miser wretched

ˈmiserableness noun

ˈmiserably adverb