Miserable
/ˈmɪz.ər.ə.bəl/noun
Very unhappy, uncomfortable, or of very poor quality.
Did you know?English got this word through Old French from Latin *miserabilis*, literally “worthy of pity,” built on *miser* “wretched,” a root that also gave us *miser* and *misery*.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mei-
“to change, exchange, or alter”
Latin
Latin
miser
“wretched, unfortunate, pitiable”
Latin
Latin
miserabilis
“worthy of pity, lamentable”
Old French
OF
miserable
“wretched, unfortunate, pitiable”
Middle English
English
miserable
“wretched, full of misery”
Modern English
English
miserable
“very unhappy or of very poor quality”
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