Emily Dickinson Lexicon

MIS'ER-A-BLE, a. [s as z. Fr. miserable, from L. miser, miserabilis.]

1. Very unhappy from grief, pain, calamity, poverty, apprehension of evil or other cause. It however expresses somewhat less than wretched. What hopes delude thee, miserable man? Dryden.
2. Very poor; worthless. Miserable comforters are ye all. Job xvi.
3. Causing unhappiness or misery. What's more miserable than discontent? Shak.
4. Very poor or mean; as, a miserable hut; miserable clothing.
5. Very poor or barren; as, a miserable soil.
6. Very low or despicable; as, a miserable person.

MIS'ER-A-BLE-NESS, n.

State of misery; poorness.

MIS'ER-A-BLY, adv.

1. Unhappily; calamitously. The fifth was miserably stabbed to death. South.
2. Very poorly or meanly; wretchedly. They were miserably entertained. Sidney.
3. In misery or unhappiness.

MIS-E-RE'RE, n.

In the Roman Catholic church, the psalm usually appointed for penitential acts.

MI'SER-LY, a. [See Miser.]

Very covetous; sordid; niggardly; parsimonious.

MIS'ER-Y, n. [s as z; L. miseria; Fr. misère.]

1. Great unhappiness; extreme pain of body or mind. A man suffers misery from the gout, or from great afflictions, distress, calamity, and other evils. Misery expresses somewhat less than wretchedness. Misery is as really the fruit of vice reigning in the heart, as tares are the produce of tares sown in the field. J. Lathrop.
2. Calamity; misfortune; natural evils which are the cause of misery. And mourn the miseries of human life. Dryden.
3. Covetousness. [Not used.] Shak.

MIS-ES'TI-MATE, v.t.

To estimate erroneously. Mitford.

MIS-ES'TI-MA-TED, pp.

Estimated erroneously.

MIS-EX-PLI-CA'TION, n.

Wrong explanation.

MIS-EX-POUND', v.t.

To expound erroneously. Hooker.

MIS-EX-PRES'SION, n.

Erroneous expression. Baxter.

MIS-FALL', v.t.

To befall, as ill luck; to happen to unluckily. Spenser.

MIS-FALL'EN, pp.

Happened unluckily.

MIS-FARE, n.

Ill fare; misfortune. Spenser.

MIS-FASH'ION, v.t.

To form wrong.

MIS-FEA'SANCE, n. [misfe'zance; Fr. mes and faisance, from faire, to do.]

In law, a trespass; a wrong done. Encyc.

MIS-FORM', v.t.

To make an ill form; to put in an ill shape. Spenser.

MIS-FORM'ED, pp.

Made of an ill shape.

MIS-FOR'TU-NATE, a.

Producing misfortune. H. Taylor.

MIS-FOR'TUNE, n.

Ill fortune; ill luck; calamity; an evil or cross accident; as, loss of property at sea or by fire. Consider why the change was wrought, / You'll find it his misfortune, not his fault. Addison.

MIS-FOR'TUN-ED, a.

Unfortunate. Milton.

MIS-GIVE, v.t. [misgiv'. See Give.]

1. To with doubt; to deprive of confidence; to fail; usually applied to the heart. So doth my heart misgive rne.. Shak. His heart misgave him. Addison.
2. To give or grant amiss. [Not in use.] Laud.

MIS-GIV'ING, n.

A failing of confidence; doubt; distrust. Doubts, suspicions and misgivings. South.

MIS-GIV'ING, ppr.

Filling with doubt or distrust; failing.

MIS-GOT'TEN, a.

Unjustly obtained.