miserably

miserably — adverb

1. with a sad face or in a sad manner that clearly shows how unhappy you feel.

1.adverbB1
Definition

with a sad face or in a sad manner that clearly shows how unhappy you feel.

Example

Lucía stared at the empty bowl miserably and asked for more food.

stared + miserably — adverb of manner for emotional state

After the argument, Sahil sat on the bench and wept miserably.

wept miserably — emotional display

Common collocations
  • weep miserably
  • cry miserably
  • stare miserably
  • shake one's head miserably
Synonyms
  • sadly

    softer, less intense; common in everyday speech

  • unhappily

    slightly more formal than 'sadly'

  • wretchedly

    stronger, more literary; suggests deep suffering

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

verb + miserably

miserably + verb

Usage Note

Common with verbs of looking, crying, or sitting — describes visible signs of low mood. Do not use for physical pain alone (use 'painfully' instead).

Common Mistakes

She miserably looked at the test score.
She looked miserably at the test score.
'miserably' follows the verb when it describes the manner of looking.
He felt miserably about the news.
He felt miserable about the news.
after 'feel,' use the adjective 'miserable,' not the adverb.

2. used to describe an experience or set of conditions that are extremely unpleasan

2.adverbB1
Definition

used to describe an experience or set of conditions that are extremely unpleasant and cause great discomfort.

Example

The campsite was miserably cold, and nobody slept well that night.

miserably + adjective (cold)

Amira coughed miserably through the night with a high fever.

Common collocations
  • miserably cold
  • miserably wet
  • miserably crowded
  • miserably hot
Synonyms
  • unbearably

    emphasises that the condition is too extreme to tolerate

  • painfully

    suggests physical or emotional hurt rather than just discomfort

  • dreadfully

    more common in British English; slightly old-fashioned

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

miserably + adjective

Usage Note

Typically modifies adjectives for weather (cold, wet, hot) or the quality of a physical space (crowded, noisy). Not used for moral or emotional unpleasantness — use 'appallingly' or 'shockingly' for that.

3. at such a low standard or small degree that the result is shameful or deeply dis

3.adverbB2
Definition

at such a low standard or small degree that the result is shameful or deeply disappointing.

Example

Jabari failed miserably at his first attempt to bake bread from scratch.

failed miserably — common fixed collocation

The team performed miserably in the final match and lost by twelve goals.

Common collocations
  • fail miserably
  • go miserably wrong
  • fall miserably short
  • perform miserably
Synonyms
  • poorly

    weaker and more neutral; does not carry the emotional sting of 'miserably'

  • terribly

    broad, informal substitute for all three senses

  • abysmally

    stronger and more dramatic; suggests total failure

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

verb + miserably

Usage Note

Nearly always paired with verbs of poor outcome: 'fail,' 'lose,' 'underperform,' 'fall short.' The core meaning is that the result is embarrassingly below expectation, not just slightly disappointing.

Common Mistakes

The test was miserably difficult.
The test was miserably hard to pass.
'miserably' with an adjective describes unpleasant conditions (sense 2), not difficulty level. Use 'extremely' for degree.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All four words describe an unhappy emotional state, but they differ in intensity and register. 'Sadly' is the most common and neutral — it fits everyday situations from mild disappointment to genuine grief. 'Unhappily' is slightly more formal and suggests a lingering, reflective sadness rather than a sharp reaction. 'Miserably' is stronger: it implies visible suffering and a sense of hopelessness, not just sadness. 'Wretchedly' carries the strongest emotional weight and is mostly used in literary or dramatic contexts, often suggesting physical as well as emotional distress. 'Dejectedly' focuses on the physical posture of low spirits — drooping shoulders, downcast eyes. For everyday use: choose 'sadly' for mild feelings, 'miserably' when you want to emphasise visible unhappiness, and 'wretchedly' only in more expressive or written language.

sadly ↗unhappily ↗wretchedlydejectedly

Common collocations

Phrases

  • fail miserably
  • fall miserably short
  • go miserably wrong

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed from the adjective 'miserable' (meaning 'wretched, deeply unhappy') plus the adverb-forming suffix '-ly'. The adjective entered English via Old French 'miserable', from Latin 'miserabilis' (pitiable, wretched), which came from 'miserari' (to pity), rooted in 'miser' (wretched).