miserably

/ˈmɪzrəbli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmɪzrəbli/ (ame, ipa) · /-blē -li/ (ame, mw)

miserably — adverb

1. with a sad face or in a sad manner that clearly shows how unhappy you feel.

1.副詞B1
釋義

with a sad face or in a sad manner that clearly shows how unhappy you feel.

例句

Lucía stared at the empty bowl miserably and asked for more food.

stared + miserably — adverb of manner for emotional state

After the argument, Sahil sat on the bench and wept miserably.

wept miserably — emotional display

同義詞
  • sadly

    softer, less intense; common in everyday speech

  • unhappily

    slightly more formal than 'sadly'

  • wretchedly

    stronger, more literary; suggests deep suffering

反義詞

文法句型

verb + miserably

miserably + verb

用法筆記

Common with verbs of looking, crying, or sitting — describes visible signs of low mood. Do not use for physical pain alone (use 'painfully' instead).

常見錯誤

❌She miserably looked at the test score.
✅She looked miserably at the test score.
💡'miserably' follows the verb when it describes the manner of looking.
❌He felt miserably about the news.
✅He felt miserable about the news.
💡after 'feel,' use the adjective 'miserable,' not the adverb.

2. used to describe an experience or set of conditions that are extremely unpleasan

2.副詞B1
釋義

used to describe an experience or set of conditions that are extremely unpleasant and cause great discomfort.

例句

The campsite was miserably cold, and nobody slept well that night.

miserably + adjective (cold)

Amira coughed miserably through the night with a high fever.

同義詞
  • unbearably

    emphasises that the condition is too extreme to tolerate

  • painfully

    suggests physical or emotional hurt rather than just discomfort

  • dreadfully

    more common in British English; slightly old-fashioned

反義詞

文法句型

miserably + adjective

用法筆記

Typically modifies adjectives for weather (cold, wet, hot) or the quality of a physical space (crowded, noisy). Not used for moral or emotional unpleasantness — use 'appallingly' or 'shockingly' for that.

3. at such a low standard or small degree that the result is shameful or deeply dis

3.副詞B2
釋義

at such a low standard or small degree that the result is shameful or deeply disappointing.

例句

Jabari failed miserably at his first attempt to bake bread from scratch.

failed miserably — common fixed collocation

The team performed miserably in the final match and lost by twelve goals.

同義詞
  • poorly

    weaker and more neutral; does not carry the emotional sting of 'miserably'

  • terribly

    broad, informal substitute for all three senses

  • abysmally

    stronger and more dramatic; suggests total failure

反義詞

文法句型

verb + miserably

用法筆記

Nearly always paired with verbs of poor outcome: 'fail,' 'lose,' 'underperform,' 'fall short.' The core meaning is that the result is embarrassingly below expectation, not just slightly disappointing.

常見錯誤

❌The test was miserably difficult.
✅The test was miserably hard to pass.
💡'miserably' with an adjective describes unpleasant conditions (sense 2), not difficulty level. Use 'extremely' for degree.