miserable

wretched

adjective mee-SEH-rah-bleh Rare

Origin: From Latin miserabilis, from misereri (to pity).

Also means

miserable

Usage Note

Miserable is a near-cognate of English 'miserable' but covers more ground: it can describe a person who is deeply unhappy, morally contemptible, or living in extreme poverty. In everyday speech it can be a strong insult ('you wretch'). Do not use it to mean merely 'slightly sad'—for that, Spanish prefers triste or deprimido.

Examples

"Vive en condiciones miserables."

Natural Translation

She lives in wretched conditions.

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