German word

miserabel

Pronunciation

IPA/mizəˈʁaːbl̩/

Meaning

  • adjectivemiserable

Example

Die Wohnung ist miserabler als früher.

The apartment is more miserable than before.

Illustration for miserabel (miserable)

More examples

Nach der langen Reise war er in miserabler Verfassung.

After the long journey, he was in miserable condition.

Core concept

A person, situation, or result reduced to a pitiable and visibly poor state.

Common phrases

  • sich miserabel fühlen

    feel miserable

  • in miserabler Verfassung sein

    be in miserable condition

  • miserabel aussehen

    look miserable

Similar words

mies: Extremely poor in quality or functioning, in a blunt, informal sense.
schlecht: Simply lacking good quality or an acceptable condition.
erbärmlich: Pitifully poor and degrading, almost unbearable to look at.
armselig: Poor, shabby, and lacking the means or care needed for improvement.

Definition in German

Bezeichnet einen sehr elenden Zustand oder eine sehr schlechte Leistung oder Qualität.

Word origin

German miserabel is borrowed from French misérable, which goes back to Latin miserabilis, meaning pitiable or wretched.

Usage tips

  • As an adjective, miserabel takes normal German endings, as in ein miserabler Film, eine miserable Wohnung, and ein miserables Ergebnis.

Other meanings

  • wretchedadjective
  • terribleadjective

Opposites

Related words

  • Miserabilitätmiserablenessnoun

Word lists with this word