miserable Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. adjective satellite very unhappy; full of misery
    suffering; wretched.
    • he felt depressed and miserable
    • a message of hope for suffering humanity
    • wretched prisoners huddled in stinking cages
  2. adjective satellite deserving or inciting pity
    poor; wretched; pathetic; pitiable; piteous; misfortunate; pitiful; hapless.
    • 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
  3. adjective satellite of the most contemptible kind
    scurvy; low-down; scummy; low; abject.
    • 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
  4. adjective satellite of very poor quality or condition
    execrable; deplorable; woeful; wretched.
    • deplorable housing conditions in the inner city
    • woeful treatment of the accused
    • woeful errors of judgment
  5. adjective satellite characterized by physical misery
    wretched.
    • a wet miserable weekend
    • spent a wretched night on the floor
  6. adjective satellite contemptibly small in amount
    paltry; measly.
    • a measly tip
    • the company donated a miserable $100 for flood relief
    • a paltry wage
    • almost depleted his miserable store of dried beans

WordNet


Mis"er*a*ble adjective
Etymology
F. misérable, L. miserabilis, fr. miserari to lament, pity, fr. miser wretched. See Miser.
Definitions
  1. Very unhappy; wretched.
    What hopes delude thee, miserable man? Dryden.
  2. Causing unhappiness or misery.
    What 's more miserable than discontent? Shak.
  3. Worthless; mean; despicable; as, a miserable fellow; a miserable dinner.
    Miserable comforters are ye all. Job xvi. 2.
  4. Avaricious; niggardly; miserly. Obs. Hooker. Syn. -- Abject; forlorn; pitiable; wretched.
Mis"er*a*ble noun
Definitions
  1. A miserable person. Obs. Sterne.

Webster 1913