French word

minable

Pronunciation

IPA/minabl/

Meaning

  • adjectivepathetic

Example

C'est vraiment minable.

It's really pathetic.

Illustration for minable (pathetic)

More examples

Il touche un salaire minable et ne peut pas payer ses factures.

He earns a pitiful salary and cannot pay his bills.

Core concept

A shabby, disappointing person or thing that looks neglected and falls far below expectations.

Common phrases

  • un salaire minable

    a pitiful salary

  • une excuse minable

    a pathetic excuse

  • avoir l'air minable

    look pathetic

Similar words

nul: Colloquially, extremely poor in ability or quality.
médiocre: Below standard, with no particularly good qualities.
lamentable: So bad or disappointing that it causes dismay.
pathétique: Pitiful in appearance or circumstances, evoking sympathy or sadness.

Definition in French

Terme péjoratif pour qualifier quelque chose ou quelqu'un de pitoyable, de faible qualité ou négligé.

Word origin

Minable derives from French mine, 'appearance', with the suffix -able; its pejorative use applies a poor-looking impression to a person, object, or result.

Usage tips

  • Minable is strongly pejorative and can insult a person, so neutral descriptions are safer in formal or respectful contexts.

Other meanings

  • miserableadjective
  • shabbyadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word