Miserable

Miserable

Adjective · /ˈmɪz.ər.ə.bəl/

Definition

In a state of great unhappiness, discomfort, or distress; causing unhappiness or discomfort; wretchedly inadequate or small (a miserable salary); informal British English — a person who is habitually unhappy or complaining (often used as a light insult: don't be such a miserable).

Origin

From French misérable, from Latin miserabilis (pitiable, lamentable, wretched), from miserari (to pity, to lament, from miser, wretched). The same Latin miser root gives miser, misery, miserable, and commiserate. The word entered English in the 15th century. In contemporary British English, miserable can function as a noun — you miserable — as a light insult for someone who is habitually gloomy or complaining, extending the adjective into a character classification.