miserable

Meanings

1. 1adjectivecomparable

   Feeling extremely unhappy or sad.

   Grammar: Used to describe people or their feelings: She felt miserable. Can be used before a noun: a miserable expression.

   Patterns

   • feel miserable
   • look miserable
   • be miserable about something

   After losing the game, the whole team looked miserable.

   He was miserable when his best friend moved away.

   She felt miserable about failing the exam.

2. 2adjectivecomparableinformal

   Very unpleasant or uncomfortable, especially describing weather or conditions.

   Grammar: Often used before a noun: miserable weather. Can also be used after a linking verb: The weather was miserable.

   Patterns

   • miserable weather
   • a miserable day
   • miserable conditions

   We had miserable weather all week, with rain every day.

   The refugees were living in miserable conditions.

   It was a miserable morning, cold and gray.

3. 3adjectivecomparabledisapproving

   Very poor in quality or very small in amount.

   Grammar: Used before a noun to emphasize how bad or small something is: a miserable salary.

   Patterns

   • a miserable amount
   • a miserable salary
   • a miserable performance

   He earns a miserable salary that barely covers his rent.

   The team gave a miserable performance and lost 5-0.

   They offered us a miserable portion of food.

Word forms

Common combinations

miserable weather

The miserable weather ruined our picnic plans.

feel miserable

I felt miserable after arguing with my sister.

a miserable failure

The project was a miserable failure and was canceled.

miserable conditions

The workers complained about the miserable conditions in the factory.

look miserable

He looked miserable sitting alone in the corner.

Synonyms and how they differ

unhappy

Unhappy is a more general word for sadness; miserable suggests a deeper, more intense unhappiness.

wretched

Wretched is stronger and often implies extreme suffering or pitiful conditions; miserable can be less severe.

depressed

Depressed is a clinical or serious term for low mood; miserable is more everyday and can refer to temporary feelings.

gloomy

Gloomy often describes weather or atmosphere as well as mood; miserable is more about personal unhappiness or unpleasant conditions.

Opposites

Word family

miserably adverb

In a miserable manner: She failed miserably.

misery noun

A state of great unhappiness or suffering.

Commonly confused: miserable or miserly?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “miserable”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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