miserabilist
|miz-ə-rə-bɪ-lɪst|
/ˌmɪzərəˈbɪlɪst/
a person who emphasizes misery
Etymology
'miserabilist' originates from English, formed from the adjective 'miserable' plus the agent-suffix '-ist', where 'miserable' ultimately comes from Latin 'miserabilis' (via Old French 'miserable'), and Latin 'miser' meant 'wretched' or 'pitiful'.
'miserabilist' developed in English by extension from 'miserable' and the noun-forming suffix '-ist' (compare 'miserabilism' for the noun form of the tendency). The adjective 'miserable' came into English from Old French 'miserable', itself from Latin 'miserabilis'. Over time English added '-ist' to denote a person associated with that quality.
Initially the Latin root and early English forms described someone or something 'worthy of pity' or 'wretched'; over time the compound 'miserabilist' came to mean specifically a person who emphasizes or produces works focused on misery (an advocate or practitioner of miserabilism).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who habitually emphasizes misery or the bleak, depressing aspects of life; especially an artist, writer, or critic whose work focuses on suffering and gloom (one who practices or advocates miserabilism).
Many critics called him a miserabilist because his novels dwelled relentlessly on poverty and despair.
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Adjective 1
characterized by an emphasis on misery or bleakness; relating to miserabilism.
The film has a miserabilist tone that some viewers found oppressive.
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Last updated: 2025/09/02 23:11