Synonyms of miserable
120 similar words
Another word for miserable is depressed. Other synonyms of miserable are unhappy, sad, heavy-hearted, low-spirited and grief-stricken.
Synonyms and similar words for miserable
adjectiveIn a state of misery: very sad, ill, or poor.
- atrabiliary
- atrabilious
- blithelessWithout happiness or joy; unjoyful; sorrowful; sad.
- dispiritedWithout energy, gusto or drive, enervated, without the will to accomplish, disheartened.
- blueDepressed, melancholic, sad.
- bummed outDepressed, disappointed, in a gloomy mood.
- chapfallenCrestfallen, dejected.
- cheerlessDevoid of cheer; gloomy.
- chopfallenSynonym of chapfallen.
- crestfallen
- cut up Australia, UKEmotionally upset; mentally distressed.
- damp figuratively
- dejectedSad and dispirited.
- depressedUnhappy; despondent.
- despondentIn low spirits from loss of hope or courage.
- disgruntledIn a dissatisfied, frustrated, or upset mood; in a bad temper or ill humour.
- disconsolateCheerless, dreary.
- disheartenedDiscouraged, despairing.
- dismalCausing despair; gloomy and bleak.
- dolefulFilled with grief, mournful, bringing feelings of sadness.
- dolesomeCharacterised or marked by sorrow and grief; doleful; dismal; gloomy.
- downSad, unhappy, depressed, feeling low.
- down in the dumpsSad; lacking engagement or enthusiasm.
- down in the mouthSad or discouraged, especially as indicated by one's facial appearance.
- downcastOf a person: feeling despondent or discouraged.
- downheartedSad, discouraged, in low spirits, unhappy, having no hope.
- downsomeLow-spirited; melancholy.
- dullBored, depressed, down.
- elegiacExpressing sorrow or mourning.
- elegiousMelancholy, miserable, plaintive.
- forlornPitifully sad, wretched, miserable; lonely, especially from feeling abandoned, deserted, forsaken.
- gloomySuffering from gloom; melancholy; dejected.
- glumDespondent; moody; sullen.
- grief-strickenVery sad.
- grievingFeeling or showing sorrow or distress due to loss, especially the death of someone.
- heavy-heartedSad, melancholic.
- heartsoreHeartsick.
- heartsickVery despondent or sorrowful; heartsore.
- inconsolableNot consolable; unable to be consoled or comforted, usually due to grief, disappointment, or other distress.
- infelicitous
- jawfallenDejected, dispirited.
- joylessWithout joy; unhappy, sad.
- lachrymoseTearful, sorrowful, sad, pertaining to tears, weeping, causing tears or crying.
- lowDepressed in mood, dejected, sad.
- low-spiritedDisheartened, feeling low, in low spirits.
- lugubriousGloomy, mournful or dismal, especially to an exaggerated degree.
- melancholicFilled with or affected by melancholy—great sadness or depression, especially of a thoughtful or introspective nature.
- melancholyAffected with great sadness or depression.
- moodySulky or depressed.
- mopeyGiven to moping; in a depressed condition, low in spirits; lackadaisical.
- moroseSullen, gloomy; showing a brooding ill humour.
- mournfulFilled with grief or sadness; being in a state in which one mourns.
- plaintiveSounding sorrowful, mournful or melancholic.
- PlutonianOf, relating to, or having characteristics associated with the underworld; dark, gloomy; mournful.
- PlutonicSynonym of Plutonian (“of, relating to, or having characteristics associated with the underworld; dark, gloomy...
- querulousOften complaining; suggesting a complaint in expression; fretful, whining.
- ruthfulFull of sorrow; sorrowful; woeful; rueful.
- sadCausing sorrow; lamentable.
- saddened
- saturnineOf a person: having a tendency to be cold and gloomy.
- shatteredEmotionally defeated or dispirited.
- solemnCheerless, gloomy, sombre.
- sombreDark; gloomy; shadowy, dimly lit.
- sorrowfulExhibiting sorrow; dejected; distraught; sad. (of a person).
- sorrow-riddenFilled with sorrow or sorrows.
- sorrowsomeMarked by sorrow; sad; dreary; sorrowful.
- spiritlessLacking energy, drive, motivation or emotion. Enervated.
- sullenGloomy; dismal; foreboding.
- threneticSorrowful; mournful.
- threneticalThrenetic.
- uncheerfulNot cheerful.
- uncheeryNot cheery; gloomy, pessimistic.
- unconsolableSynonym of inconsolable.
- unhappyNot happy; sad.
- unlivelyNot lively.
- wistfulSad and thoughtful.
- woebegoneOf a person: deeply affected or overwhelmed by suffering or trouble, and so filled with woe (“great distress or...
- woefulFull of woe; sorrowful; distressed with grief or calamity.
- wretchedCharacterized by or feeling deep affliction or distress; very miserable.
- lamentful rareReplete with lamentation; mournful.
- lumpish obsoleteMiserable, sad.
- passionate obsolete
- triste rareSad; sorrowful; gloomy.
- tristful archaicSad, melancholic.
- woe obsoleteWoeful; sorrowful.
adjectiveVery bad (at something); unskilled, incompetent; hopeless.
- amateurishSuggesting or reflecting the efforts of an amateur; not seeming professional or polished.
- backwardsSynonym of backward; see usage notes there.
- badUnskilled; of limited ability; not good.
- bunglingIncompetent or inept.
- clumsy
- ham-fistedLacking skill in general; incompetent.
- ham-handedClumsy, heavy, or inept; not delicate, light or gentle.
- inaptNot apt.
- incapable
- incompetentLacking the degree of ability and responsibility necessary to do a task successfully.
- ineffectiveLacking in ability; incompetent or inadequate.
- inept
- inexpertInept or unskilled; not of expert ability or quality.
- maladroitNot adroit; awkward, clumsy, inept.
- noob
- unableNot able; lacking a certain ability.
- unprofessional
- unqualified
- unskillfulNot skillful.
adjectiveOf the weather, extremely unpleasant due to being cold, wet, overcast, etc.
- comfortlessOf a thing: offering no comfort; uncomforting.
- bleakUnhappy; cheerless; miserable; emotionally desolate.
- darkConducive to hopelessness; depressing or bleak.
- depressingCausing depression or sadness.
- desolateDismal or dreary.
- direExpressing bad consequences: dreadful; dismal.
- drearDreary.
- drearisomeCharacterised or marked by dreariness.
- drearyDrab; dark, colorless, or cheerless.
- dreich UK, dialectalBleak, cheerless, dismal, dreary, miserable.
- gaylessLacking gaiety; gloomy; somber; drab.
- grayDreary, gloomy, cloudy.
- gloomsomeCharacterised or marked by gloom.
- grimDismal and gloomy, cold and forbidding.
- lack-laughterCheerless; sombre; serious.
- mirthlessLacking mirth; devoid of joy; sad.
Meaning of miserable
- adjective In a state of misery: very sad, ill, or poor.
- adjective Very bad (at something); unskilled, incompetent; hopeless.
- adjective Of the weather, extremely unpleasant due to being cold, wet, overcast, etc.
miserable in other languages
Questions about synonyms of miserable
- What is another word for miserable?
- Miserable has 120 synonyms on Word.ws, such as depressed, unhappy, sad, heavy-hearted, low-spirited, grief-stricken, melancholy and sorrow-ridden.
- What does miserable mean?
- Miserable means in a state of misery: very sad, ill, or poor.
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: miserable (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this page: “Synonyms of miserable.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/miserable. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.