English Explanatory Dictionary

miserable

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. In a state of misery: very sad, ill, or poor.
  2. Very bad (at something); unskilled, incompetent; hopeless.
  3. Of the weather, extremely unpleasant due to being cold, wet, overcast, etc.
  4. Wretched; worthless; mean; contemptible.
  5. Causing unhappiness or misery.
  6. Avaricious; niggardly; miserly.
  7. Negative minded, unpleasant to be around.
noun
  1. A miserable person; a wretch.
  2. A state of misery or melancholy.

Pronunciation

/ˈmɪz(ə)ɹəbəl/ en-us-miserable.ogg

Word forms

miserable more miserable most miserable miserables

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French miserable, from Old French, from Latin miserabilis, equivalent to miser + -able.

Synonyms

atrabiliary atrabilious blitheless dispirited blue bummed out chapfallen cheerless chopfallen crestfallen cut up damp dejected depressed despondent disgruntled disconsolate disheartened dismal doleful dolesome down down in the dumps down in the mouth downcast downhearted downsome dull elegiac elegious forlorn gloomy glum grief-stricken grieving heavy-hearted heartsore heartsick inconsolable infelicitous jawfallen joyless lachrymose lamentful low low-spirited lugubrious lumpish melancholic melancholy miserable moody mopey morose mournful passionate plaintive Plutonian Plutonic querulous

Related words

miser misery

Derived words

immiseration immiserization mimsy miserabilism miserabilist miserability miserable as a wet hen miserableness miserablism miserablist miserably unmiserable
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