miserable

miserable — adjective

1. feeling extremely sad or unhappy, often because something bad has happened or be

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

feeling extremely sad or unhappy, often because something bad has happened or because life feels difficult.

Example

After Walid failed his driving test for the third time, he felt completely miserable.

feel + miserable for emotional state

The long rainy season made Élise miserable as she could not go outside.

Common collocations
  • feel miserable
  • look miserable
  • miserable silence
  • make someone miserable
Synonyms
  • unhappy

    less intense; describes a general lack of happiness rather than deep suffering

  • sad

    milder and more general; can describe brief or mild unhappiness

  • wretched

    stronger than miserable, suggesting extreme suffering or hopelessness

Antonyms
  • happy

    feeling pleasure or contentment

  • cheerful

    noticeably happy and in a good mood

Grammar Patterns

feel + miserable

look + miserable

make someone + miserable

miserable + about + noun/gerund

Usage Note

Often pairs with verbs of state: feel, look, seem, sound, or the causative make someone. The preposition about introduces the cause of unhappiness.

Common Mistakes

I felt miserable with the cold weather' (when meaning annoyed).
I felt miserable because of the cold weather.
Use 'because of' or 'about' to name the cause, not 'with'.
He is a miserable person who never smiles' (confusing with personality trait).
He felt miserable after losing his job.
For a temporary emotional state, use 'feel/look miserable'; for a personality trait, use 'grumpy' or 'miserable' only in sense 5.

2. so unpleasant or uncomfortable that it causes unhappiness — used about weather,

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

so unpleasant or uncomfortable that it causes unhappiness — used about weather, places, living conditions, or experiences.

Example

The refugees spent a miserable night in the cold without any shelter.

a miserable + [night/day/week] for unpleasant experience

Felipe's living conditions were so miserable that he decided to move out.

miserable living conditions

Common collocations
  • miserable weather
  • miserable conditions
  • miserable existence
  • miserable week
Synonyms
  • unpleasant

    weaker; describes things that are simply not enjoyable

  • dreadful

    stronger emotional reaction; suggests fear or disgust as well as unhappiness

  • appalling

    shockingly bad; suggests moral outrage at the conditions

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

be + miserable (of weather/conditions)

a + miserable + noun (day/week/place)

Usage Note

Commonly modifies nouns for weather (miserable day/weather), living spaces (miserable apartment/room), and extended experiences (miserable trip/existence). Describes the external situation itself, not a person's inner feeling.

Common Mistakes

The food tasted miserable.
The food was miserable.
'Miserable' describes the quality of an experience, not a taste or flavour.

3. very bad in quality — so poor that it causes disappointment, annoyance, or embar

3.adjectiveB2
Definition

very bad in quality — so poor that it causes disappointment, annoyance, or embarrassment.

Example

The hotel offered a miserable breakfast of stale bread and cold coffee.

a miserable + [meal/breakfast] for poor quality

Haruto gave a miserable performance at the piano recital and forgot half the notes.

Common collocations
  • miserable performance
  • miserable meal
  • miserable review
Synonyms
  • pitiful

    adds a sense that the poor quality is disappointing or shameful

  • lousy

    more informal; common in everyday speech

  • pathetic

    even stronger; suggests the poor quality is ridiculous

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

a + miserable + noun (performance/meal/result)

Usage Note

Strongly negative; avoid using for minor disappointments. For example, a slightly cold meal is 'not very good', not 'miserable'. This sense works best with specific countable nouns (meal, performance, attempt) rather than abstract qualities.

Common Mistakes

The coffee was a bit miserable.
The coffee was miserable.
Do not use 'a bit' or 'slightly' with this sense; 'miserable' already conveys strong disapproval.

4. so small in amount that it is not enough for what is needed or expected — used e

4.adjectiveB2
Definition

so small in amount that it is not enough for what is needed or expected — used especially about money, wages, or portions.

Example

Nicholas worked sixty hours a week for a miserable salary that barely covered rent.

a miserable + salary/wage for insufficient pay

The company offered Adina a miserable two percent raise after a year of hard work.

Common collocations
  • miserable salary
  • miserable wage
  • miserable pension
  • miserable portion
Synonyms
  • pitiful

    adds emotional appeal — the small amount seems unfair or cruel

  • meagre

    more formal; common in written business or academic contexts

  • paltry

    suggests contempt for how little is given

Antonyms
  • generous

    large in amount; more than enough

  • ample

    more than sufficient for what is needed

Grammar Patterns

a + miserable + amount/number (salary/wage/pension/portion)

Usage Note

Always precedes a noun referring to a quantity or amount. The amount itself may be named (miserable two percent) or implied by the noun (miserable salary). Carries a tone of complaint or disapproval about unfairness.

Common Mistakes

The pay was miserable small.
The pay was miserable.
'Miserable' already means very small; do not add another size adjective.

5. morally bad or shameful, deserving of hatred or strong disapproval from other pe

5.adjectiveC1
Definition

morally bad or shameful, deserving of hatred or strong disapproval from other people.

Example

Cheating an elderly person out of their savings is a miserable act that deserves punishment.

a miserable + act/deed for morally bad behaviour

The politician told a miserable lie to cover up the corruption scandal.

Common collocations
  • miserable act
  • miserable lie
  • miserable creature
  • miserable person
Synonyms
  • contemptible

    more formal; directly states that the person or act deserves contempt

  • despicable

    stronger; suggests the person or act is so bad it inspires hatred

  • wretched

    can overlap, but also carries overtones of pity or low status

Antonyms
  • admirable

    deserving respect and approval

  • noble

    having high moral qualities

Grammar Patterns

a + miserable + noun (person/act/lie/creature)

be + miserable

Usage Note

Strongly judgemental. Use when the speaker wants to express moral condemnation, not mere dislike. Distinguish from sense 1: a 'miserable person' here is worthy of contempt, not someone who feels sad.

Common Mistakes

He was miserable for stealing.' (confusing with sense 1: feeling sad).
His act of stealing was miserable.
Use this sense for moral judgement of actions or character, not for describing someone's emotional state in response to their own wrongdoing.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe negative emotional states, but they differ in intensity and scope. Sad is the mildest and most general — you can be sad about a cancelled trip or a lost toy. Unhappy is slightly stronger, often suggesting a longer-lasting discontent with a situation or relationship. Miserable goes further, describing deep unhappiness that affects your whole state of mind — like after a major loss or during prolonged hardship. Wretched is the strongest, suggesting utter hopelessness and suffering, as if stripped of all comfort or dignity. Pitiful adds an element of sympathy from an outsider's perspective: a pitiful sight makes onlookers feel sorry. For example: a child is sad after dropping an ice cream, unhappy after moving to a new school, miserable after losing a beloved pet, and wretched if living in extreme poverty; a homeless person on a cold street is a pitiful sight.

unhappy ↗sad ↗wretchedpitiful

Common collocations

Nouns

  • miserable failure
  • miserable existence
  • miserable life
  • miserable weather
  • miserable conditions
  • miserable wretch
  • miserable creature

Adverbs

  • absolutely miserable
  • completely miserable
  • utterly miserable
  • truly miserable

Phrases

  • make someone's life miserable
  • a miserable end to something
  • look miserable

Prepositions

  • miserable about
  • miserable because of

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Miserable comes from the Latin word miser (meaning 'wretched' or 'unhappy'), through miserabilis ('pitiable') and Old French miserable. The root miser also gives us misery (extreme suffering), miserly (like a miser — someone who hoards money unhappily), and commiserate (to share someone's unhappiness). The original sense of 'causing pity' has broadened over time to describe poor quality and small amounts as well as emotional pain.