Miserably — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective adverb /ˈmi-zər-bəl/ mis·er·a·ble

Meaning & Definition of Miserably

Miserably (adjective)

  1. being in a pitiable state of distress or unhappiness (as from want or shame)
  2. very sick
  3. wretchedly inadequate or meager

Miserably (adverb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in dismally, darkly

    similar: blackly, darkly, dismally, distressfully, distressingly, dourly, drearily, forlornly, gloomily, glumly, joylessly, mirthlessly, morosely, pessimistically, somberly, sullenly, abjectly, cheerlessly, crestfallenly, dejectedly, despairingly, despondently, disconsolately, dispiritedly, downheartedly, low-spiritedly, acutely, harshly, keenly, piercingly, poignantly, severely, sharply, agonizingly, bitterly, dolefully, dolorously, grievously, hard, hardly, inconsolably, lugubriously, mournfully, painfully, plaintively, regretfully, resentfully, ruefully, sadly, sorely, sorrowfully, unhappily, wailfully, woefully, wretchedly, cruelly, hurtfully, ill, rancorously
    opposite: blissfully, gladly, happily, joyfully, joyously, cheerfully, cheerily, delightedly, gaily, gleefully, good-naturedly, lightheartedly, merrily, mirthfully, rejoicingly, sunnily, blithely, blithesomely, calmly, casually, dispassionately, easily, impassively, indifferently, lightly, nonchalantly, stoically, unconcernedly, favorably, well

Related Entry: Miserable (adjective)

Miserable is a different word from Miserably. The synonyms below are for miserable, not for miserably.

  1. causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer

    "spent the night in a miserable jail cell"

    similar: black, bleak, cheerless, chill, Cimmerian, cloudy, cold, comfortless, dark, darkening, depressing, depressive, desolate, dire, disconsolate, dismal, drear, dreary, dreich (chiefly Scottish), elegiac, forlorn, funereal, gloomy, glum, godforsaken, gray, lonely, lonesome, lugubrious, morbid, morose, murky, plutonian, saturnine, sepulchral, solemn, somber, sullen, sunless, tenebrific, tenebrous, wretched
    related: blue, dejected, depressed, despondent, down, droopy, hangdog, inconsolable, low, melancholic, melancholy, mirthless, sad, unhappy, woebegone, woeful, dim, discomfiting, discouraging, disheartening, dismaying, dispiriting, distressful, distressing, upsetting, desperate, hopeless, pessimistic, lamentable, mournful, plaintive, sorrowful, colorless, drab, dull, dour, grim, lowering, lowery, menacing, negative, oppressive, threatening
    opposite: bright, cheerful, cheering, cheery, comforting, cordial, festive, friendly, gay, heartwarming, sunshiny
    near: blithe, blithesome, buoyant, gay, jocund, jolly, joyful, joyous, merry, mirthful, encouraging, hopeful, optimistic, lighthearted, lightsome

  2. feeling unhappiness

    "the awful news made us miserable"

    similar: bad, blue, brokenhearted, cast down, crestfallen, dejected, depressed, despondent, disconsolate, doleful, down, down in the mouth, downcast, downhearted, droopy, forlorn, gloomy, glum, hangdog, heartbroken, heartsick, heartsore, heavyhearted, inconsolable, joyless, low, low-spirited, melancholic, melancholy, mournful, sad, saddened, sorrowful, sorry, unhappy, woebegone, woeful, wretched
    related: aggrieved, distressed, troubled, uneasy, unquiet, upset, worried, despairing, hopeless, sunk, disappointed, discouraged, disheartened, dispirited, suicidal, dolorous, lachrymose, lugubrious, plaintive, tearful, regretful, rueful, agonized, anguished, grieving, wailing, weeping, black, bleak, cheerless, comfortless, dark, darkening, depressing, desolate, dismal, drear, dreary, elegiac, funereal, gray, morbid, morose, murky, saturnine, somber, sullen
    opposite: blissful, buoyant, buoyed, cheerful, cheery, chipper, delighted, glad, gladdened, gladsome, gleeful, happy, joyful, joyous, jubilant, sunny, upbeat
    near: ecstatic, elated, enraptured, entranced, euphoric, exhilarated, exuberant, exultant, overjoyed, rapturous, rhapsodic, blithe, blithesome, jocose, jocular, jocund, jolly, jovial, lightsome, merry, mirthful, excited, thrilled, hopeful, optimistic, rosy, sanguine, encouraged, heartened, animated, bouncing, energetic, frisky, jaunty, lively, peppy, perky, spirited, sprightful, sprightly, springy, vital, vivacious, zippy, content, gratified, pleased, satisfied, beaming, grinning, laughing, smiling, boon, carefree, careless, cavalier, devil-may-care, easygoing, happy-go-lucky, insouciant, lighthearted, unconcerned

  3. of low quality

    "a miserable meal that I wouldn't feed to a dog"

    similar: bad, bargain-basement, bum, cheap, cheapjack, cheesy, coarse, common, crappy (slang), cut-rate, el cheapo, execrable, gimcrack, inferior, junky, lousy, low-grade, low-rent, mediocre, poor, rotten, rubbishy, schlock, second-rate, shoddy, sleazy, terrible, trashy, trumpery, wretched
    related: useless, valueless, worthless, indifferent, lackluster, second-class, brummagem, flashy, garish, gaudy, glitzy, kitsch, kitschy, meretricious, ostentatious, showy, splashy, swank, tawdry, seedy, shabby, tacky, counterfeit, fake, phony, sham, supercheap, ultracheap
    opposite: excellent, fine, first-class, first-rate, good, high-grade, superior, top-notch
    near: elegant, handsome, tasteful, handcrafted, polished, refined

  4. showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect

    "a miserable little apartment"

    similar: beat-up, bombed-out, dilapidated, dog-eared, down-at-the-heels, dumpy, grungy, mangy, mean, moth-eaten, neglected, ratty, run-down, scrubby, scruffy, seedy, shabby, sleazy, tacky, tatterdemalion, tatty, threadbare, timeworn, tumbledown, gone to seed
    related: abandoned, unkept, desolate, forlorn, godforsaken, broken-down, decrepit, tired, worn-out, bedraggled, dingy, ragged, tattered, decaying, deteriorated, deteriorating, rackety, ramshackle, rattletrap, rickety, broken, damaged, destroyed, harmed, hurt, impaired, injured, ruined, wrecked
    near: brand-new, fresh, new, cared-for, kept-up, maintained, mended, patched, rebuilt, reconstructed, smart, spiffy, spruce

  5. deserving of one's pity

    "miserable refugees from the war-torn country"

    similar: heartbreaking, heartrending, pathetic, piteous, pitiable, pitiful, poor, rueful, sorry, wretched
    related: deplorable, lamentable, regrettable, emotional, impressive, inspiring, affecting, moving, poignant, stirring, touching, awful, horrible, terrible, distressing, disturbing, upsetting, grievous, mournful, sad, sorrowful, woeful
    near: unimpressive, uninspiring

  6. deserving pitying scorn (as for inadequacy)

    "that ugly mutt is one miserable excuse for a dog"

    similar: contemptible, despicable, pathetic, pitiable, pitiful, sad, sorry, wretched
    related: deplorable, discreditable, disgraceful, disreputable, ignominious, infamous, misbegotten, notorious, shameful, abhorrent, abominable, beastly, detestable, hateful, lousy, odious, stinking, bad, inferior, lame, poor, disgusting, dishonorable, meritless, unworthy, worthless, scandalous, shocking, sordid, unsavory
    opposite: decent, presentable, respectable
    near: admirable, commendable, creditable, laudable, meritorious, praiseworthy, redoubtable, notable, noteworthy, noticeable, outstanding, reputable, worthy, excellent, flawless, perfect, honorable, noble, honest, straight

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Miserably

The most common words with a similar meaning to Miserably:

blackly, darkly, dismally, distressfully, distressingly, dourly, drearily, forlornly, gloomily, glumly, joylessly, mirthlessly, morosely, pessimistically, somberly, sullenly, abjectly, cheerlessly, crestfallenly, dejectedly, despairingly, despondently, disconsolately, dispiritedly, downheartedly, low-spiritedly, acutely, harshly, keenly, piercingly, poignantly, severely, sharply, agonizingly, bitterly, dolefully, dolorously, grievously, hard, hardly

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Miserably

Words with the opposite meaning of Miserably:

blissfully, gladly, happily, joyfully, joyously, cheerfully, cheerily, delightedly, gaily, gleefully, good-naturedly, lightheartedly, merrily, mirthfully, rejoicingly, sunnily, blithely, blithesomely, calmly, casually, dispassionately, easily, impassively, indifferently, lightly, nonchalantly, stoically, unconcernedly, favorably, well

Word Forms of Miserably

Derived words: miserable (noun), miserableness (noun), miserably (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Miserably

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin miserabilis wretched, pitiable, from miserari to pity, from miser

First known use: 15th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Miserably

What does "Miserably" mean?

"Miserably" means being in a pitiable state of distress or unhappiness (as from want or shame). As an an adjective and an adverb, it is defined as: being in a pitiable state of distress or unhappiness (as from want or shame).

What is another word for "Miserably"?

Other words for "Miserably" include blackly, darkly, dismally, distressfully, distressingly, dourly, drearily and forlornly. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Miserably" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Miserably"?

There are 59 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Miserably". Common alternatives include blackly, darkly, dismally, distressfully, distressingly, dourly, drearily, forlornly, gloomily and glumly.

What is the opposite of "Miserably"?

Antonyms of "Miserably" include blissfully, gladly, happily, joyfully, joyously, cheerfully, cheerily and delightedly.

Is "Miserably" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Miserably" can be used as an adjective and an adverb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Miserably"?

"Miserably" is pronounced /ˈmi-zər-bəl/ and divided into syllables as mis·er·a·ble.

What is the origin of the word "Miserably"?

"Miserably" comes from Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin miserabilis wretched, pitiable, from miserari to pity, from miser. First known use: 15th century.

What is another word for "Miserably" meaning "as in dismally, darkly"?

When "Miserably" (adverb) means as in dismally, darkly, synonyms include blackly, darkly, dismally, distressfully, distressingly and dourly. Opposites in this sense include blissfully, gladly, happily and joyfully.