惨め|みじめmijime[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. na-adjectivemiserable; wretched; unhappy; sad; pitiable
   彼かれは若わかい頃ころ惨みじめな生活せいかつを送おくった。↗

   He lived a wretched life when young.

• Synonym哀れあわれNeutralPity or pathos felt by an onlooker toward something pitiable; 「惨め」 stresses a wretched plight and wounded pride, whoever is the one suffering.
• Synonym不幸ふこうNeutralA noun for misfortune or disaster, also a polite euphemism for a relative's death; it centers on what befalls you, not on feeling wretched.
• Synonym痛ましいいたましいNeutralHeartbreaking to look at, as in 「痛ましい事故」; used mostly of events and accidents rather than one's own state.
• Synonym気の毒きのどくNeutralFeeling sorry for someone else, as in 「お気の毒に」; the focus is sympathy for another person, not your own misery.
• Synonym悲惨ひさんNeutralA noun for scenes too dreadful to behold, as in 「悲惨な事故」; stronger in degree and more objective than 「惨め」.
• Synonym情けないなさけないNeutralDisgraceful or disappointing, as in 「情けない姿」, whether said of yourself or of someone else; the stress is on the letdown rather than on a wretched plight.
• SynonymミゼラブルNeutralA loanword meaning wretched and pitiable; rare in everyday speech and carrying a literary flavor.
• Synonym不憫ふびんNeutralPitiable in a way that invites tender sympathy, mostly for children or the weak, as in 「不憫な子」.
• Related不幸せふしあわせNeutralA noun for being unhappy; it centers on your lot in life and is more colloquial than 「不幸」.
• RelatedみすぼらしいNeutralShabby and unkempt in appearance, as in 「みすぼらしい服」; strictly about how things or people look.
• Related嘆かわしいなげかわしいNeutralLamentable and sad to behold, as in 「嘆かわしい風潮」; leans toward commentary on a sorry state of affairs.
• Related薄幸はっこうWrittenA written, literary word for an ill-fated life, often a beautiful woman unlucky in fate.
• Related浅ましいあさましいNeutralShameful and despicable, also pitiable; it carries moral condemnation, which 「惨め」 does not.
• RelatedしがないCasualColloquial: humble and insignificant, as in 「しがないサラリーマン」; often used self-deprecatingly.
• Antonym幸せしあわせNeutralThe antonym: a noun for happiness and good fortune, the opposite of wretched 「惨め」.
• Antonym幸福こうふくWrittenWritten/formal prose: a noun for happiness and well-being; more formal than 「幸せ」 and the usual opposite of 「不幸」.
• Antonym満ち足りたNeutralThe opposite pole: contented and wanting for nothing, the antonym of wretched, pitiable 「惨め」.

Use 「惨め」 for a wretched plight that wounds one's pride, as in 「惨めな思いをする」. To show sympathy for others, pick 「気の毒」 or 「哀れ」; for dreadful events, 「悲惨」; for a shabby look, 「みすぼらしい」; for a disappointing showing, 「情けない」. The antonym is 「幸せ」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 哀あわれで見みていられないさま。なさけないさま。