Synonyms for miserable
ˈmɪz ər ə bəl, ˈmɪz rə-mis·er·able

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:1.0 / 1 vote

1. miserable

   Pitiful originally signified full of pity; as, "the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy," James v, 11; but this usage is now archaic, and the meaning in question is appropriated by such words as merciful and compassionate. Pitiful and pitiable now refer to what may be deserving of pity, pitiful being used chiefly for that which is merely an object of thought, pitiable for that which is brought directly before the senses; as, a pitiful story; a pitiable object; a pitiable condition. Since pity, however, always implies weakness or inferiority in that which is pitied, pitiful and pitiable are often used, by an easy transition, for what might awaken pity, but does awaken contempt; as, a pitiful excuse; he presented a pitiable appearance. Piteous is now rarely used in its earlier sense of feeling pity, but in its derived sense applies to what really excites the emotion; as, a piteous cry. Compare HUMANE; MERCY; PITY.

   Synonyms:
   abject, base, contemptible, despicable, lamentable, mournful, moving, paltry, pathetic, piteous, pitiable, pitiful, sorrowful, touching, woful, wretched

   Antonyms:
   august, beneficent, commanding, dignified, exalted, glorious, grand, great, helpful, lofty, mighty, noble, sublime, superb, superior

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. miserable

   Synonyms:
   abject, forlorn, pitiable, wretched, worthless, despicable, disconsolate

   Antonyms:
   respectable, worthy, happy, contented, comfortable

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:3.5 / 2 votes

1. miserable, suffering, wretchedadjective

   very unhappy; full of misery

   "he felt depressed and miserable"; "a message of hope for suffering humanity"; "wretched prisoners huddled in stinking cages"

   Synonyms:
   low-down, pitiable, pathetic, piteous, abject, vile, misfortunate, poor, pitiful, hapless, slimy, unworthy, deplorable, suffering, scurvy, scummy, worthless, ugly, woeful, measly, wretched, paltry, execrable, despicable, low

   Antonyms:
   ample, happy, comfy, estimable, superior, fortunate, comfortable

2. hapless, miserable, misfortunate, pathetic, piteous, pitiable, pitiful, poor, wretchedadjective

   deserving or inciting pity

   "a hapless victim"; "miserable victims of war"; "the shabby room struck her as extraordinarily pathetic"- Galsworthy; "piteous appeals for help"; "pitiable homeless children"; "a pitiful fate"; "Oh, you poor thing"; "his poor distorted limbs"; "a wretched life"

   Synonyms:
   ridiculous, paltry, deplorable, scummy, woeful, slimy, execrable, suffering, scurvy, vile, low-down, despicable, inadequate, low, worthless, sad, piteous, hapless, lamentable, misfortunate, pitiable, distressing, measly, poor, pathetic, short, wretched, silly, sorry, pitiful, abject, unworthy, ugly

   Antonyms:
   comfortable, ample, superior, estimable, happy, fortunate, comfy

3. abject, low, low-down, miserable, scummy, scurvyadjective

   of the most contemptible kind

   "abject cowardice"; "a low stunt to pull"; "a low-down sneak"; "his miserable treatment of his family"; "You miserable skunk!"; "a scummy rabble"; "a scurvy trick"

   Synonyms:
   down(p), dispirited, small, downcast, paltry, deplorable, scummy, modest, execrable, suffering, scurvy, unhopeful, humbled, low-down, lowly, low, broken, down in the mouth, blue, humble, downhearted, grim, low-toned, low-pitched, piteous, hapless, misfortunate, pitiable, depleted, crushed, measly, poor, funky, pathetic, wretched, pitiful, gloomy, abject, woeful, depressed, low-spirited, humiliated

   Antonyms:
   fortunate, comfortable, ample, happy, superior, estimable, comfy

4. deplorable, execrable, miserable, woeful, wretchedadjective

   of very poor quality or condition

   "deplorable housing conditions in the inner city"; "woeful treatment of the accused"; "woeful errors of judgment"

   Synonyms:
   paltry, deplorable, scummy, odious, reprehensible, damnable, slimy, execrable, suffering, scurvy, woebegone, vile, low-down, despicable, low, criminal, vicious, worthless, detestable, sad, piteous, condemnable, hapless, lamentable, misfortunate, pitiable, distressing, measly, abominable, poor, pathetic, wretched, sorry, pitiful, abject, woeful, unworthy, ugly

   Antonyms:
   fortunate, superior, ample, comfortable, comfy, happy, estimable

5. miserable, wretchedadjective

   characterized by physical misery

   "a wet miserable weekend"; "spent a wretched night on the floor"

   Synonyms:
   low-down, pitiable, pathetic, piteous, abject, vile, misfortunate, poor, pitiful, hapless, slimy, unworthy, deplorable, suffering, scurvy, scummy, worthless, ugly, woeful, measly, wretched, paltry, execrable, despicable, low

   Antonyms:
   fortunate, comfy, happy, estimable, comfortable, ample, superior

6. measly, miserable, paltryadjective

   contemptibly small in amount

   "a measly tip"; "the company donated a miserable $100 for flood relief"; "a paltry wage"; "almost depleted his miserable store of dried beans"

   Synonyms:
   low-down, pitiable, pathetic, piteous, abject, misfortunate, poor, pitiful, hapless, trifling, deplorable, suffering, scurvy, scummy, negligible, woeful, measly, wretched, paltry, execrable, low

   Antonyms:
   fortunate, happy, comfortable, estimable, superior, ample, comfy

Editors ContributionRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. depression

   Submitted by anonymous on December 22, 2020  

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. miserableadjective

   Synonyms:
   unhappy (as respects the condition of the mind), WRETCHED, distressed, afflicted, comfortless, disconsolate, forlorn, broken-hearted, heart-broken

2. miserableadjective

   Synonyms:
   worthless, valueless, very poor (in quality)

3. miserableadjective

   Synonyms:
   low, mean, abject, despicable, contemptible

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. miserableadjective

   Synonyms:
   wretched, abject, deplorable, grievous, pitiable, calamitous, mean, despicable, contemptible, base, arrant, sordid, groveling

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "miserable":

   wretched, unhappy, unfortunate, measly, lousy, wretch, sad, pathetic, unappy, squalid, pitiful, paltry, tragic, chickenshit, deplorable, unlucky, ratty

How to pronounce miserable?

How to say miserable in sign language?

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use miserable in a sentence?

1. Benjamin Franklin:

   It is the working man who is the happy man. It is the idle man who is the miserable man.

2. President Volodymyr Zelensky:

   It’s been a difficult night, the enemy fired 81 missiles in an attempt to intimidate Ukrainians again, returning to their miserable tactics. The occupiers can only terrorize civilians. That’s all they can do. But it won’t help them. They won’t avoid responsibility for everything they have done.

3. Nervous Flyers Bunn:

   I had a male client who said he had a fear of flying for seven years, every time he flew he was totally miserable, except for one time when, before he came back from a business trip, he hooked up with someone. He said they didn’t get any sleep. They made love all night long and he dragged himself out of bed onto the airplane and had a perfectly anxiety-free flight.

4. John Stuart Mill:

   A man who has nothing which he is willing to fight for, nothing which he cares more about than he does about his personal safety, is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.

5. Kurt Brunner:

   I'm hoping companies will say 'OK, we've had a miserable first quarter but things are improving,'.