English Meaning & Definitions
Wretchedly unhappy, uncomfortable, or distressed.
- “She felt miserable after catching a severe flu and having to stay in bed all weekend.”
- “The continuous rain and cold wind made their camping trip completely miserable.”
Of very poor quality; woefully inadequate or contemptible.
- “The restaurant served a miserable portion of food for an extremely high price.”
- “He made a miserable attempt to apologize after realizing his mistake.”
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “miserable”.
Derived from the Latin word 'miser' meaning 'wretched' or 'poor', combined with the suffix '-abilis' (capable of, tending to). It entered Middle English in the 15th century initially retaining the sense of deserving pity or being poor, which later evolved to describe someone experiencing great unhappiness or causing discomfort.
Think of a MISER who hoards all his money and is therefore MISERABLE because he has no joy or friends.
Frequently Asked Questions About “miserable”
1. What is the meaning of “miserable” in English?
In English, miserable (adjective) is defined as: “Wretchedly unhappy, uncomfortable, or distressed.”.
2. How do you use “miserable” in a sentence?
“She felt miserable after catching a severe flu and having to stay in bed all weekend.”
3. What are English synonyms of “miserable”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “miserable”?
Derived from the Latin word 'miser' meaning 'wretched' or 'poor', combined with the suffix '-abilis' (capable of, tending to). It entered Middle English in the 15th century initially retaining the sense of deserving pity or being poor, which later evolved to describe someone experiencing great unhappiness or causing discomfort.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →A measurement of time indicating an instantaneous occurrence or a state where no time has elapsed.
The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.