/'mɪzrəbl; `mɪzrəbl/ adj
1 very unhappy or uncomfortable; wretched 悲惨的; 难受的; 不幸的; 可怜的
*miserable from cold and hunger 饥寒交迫
* Refugees everywhere lead miserable lives. 各地难民过着凄惨的生活.
* He makes her life miserable, eg by his cruelty, selfishness, etc. 他使她的生活十分痛苦.
* Don't look so miserable! 别这么愁眉苦脸的!
2 causing unhappiness or discomfort; unpleasant 造成不幸或痛苦的; 令人不快的
*miserable (eg cold and wet) weather 令人难受的天气
* a miserable afternoon 使人不快的下午
* live in miserable conditions 在困苦的环境中生活.
3 poor in quality or quantity; too small or meagre 低劣的; 贫乏的; 小得或少得可怜的
*What a miserable meal that was! 那顿饭真差劲!
* How can I keep a family on such a miserable wage? 我怎么能靠这么可怜的工资养家?
4 [attrib 作定语] mean; contemptible 卑鄙的; 可耻的
*What a miserable old devil Scrooge was! 斯克鲁奇是多么可恶的吝啬鬼呀!
* The plan was a miserable failure. 那计画遭到狼狈不堪的失败.
5 (idm 习语) miserable/ugly as sin => sin.

adj
[Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French;Origin:Latin miserabilis, from miser; MISER]
extremely unhappy, for example because you feel lonely, cold, or badly treated
　I've been so miserable since Patrick left me.
　I spent the weekend feeling miserable .
　Janice looks really miserable .
　Why do you make yourself miserable by taking on too much work?
as miserable as sin
BrE (=very miserable)
especially BrE always bad-tempered, dissatisfied, or complaining
　He's a miserable old devil.
[usually before noun]
making you feel very unhappy, uncomfortable etc
　They endured hours of backbreaking work in miserable conditions.
　Mosquito bites can make life miserable .
miserable weather is cold and dull, with no sun shining
　It was a miserable grey day.
　two weeks of miserable weather
[only before noun]
very small in amount, or very bad in quality
　I can hardly afford the rent on my miserable income.
　The team gave a miserable performance.
miserable failure
BrE a complete failure
　Her attempts to learn to drive had been a miserable failure.
>miserablyadv
　I failed miserably in my duty to protect her.