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as miserable as a wet hen

as miserable as a wet hen

9.9
Very sad and upset, often after something bad happens
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : tan miserable como una gallina mojada
  • Waiting for hours in the rain left me as miserable as a wet hen.

Examples

  • Why do you look as miserable as a wet hen today?

  • After losing the game, Jake felt as miserable as a wet hen.

  • After losing the game, she looked as miserable as a wet hen sitting alone in the locker room.

  • He felt as miserable as a wet hen when his proposal was rejected.

  • He felt as miserable as a wet hen when his proposal was rejected.

  • After losing the game, she looked as miserable as a wet hen sitting alone in the locker room.

  • Waiting for hours in the rain left me as miserable as a wet hen.

Synonyms

sad
vsas miserable as a wet hen
∞ 1.0

Feeling unhappy or upset because of something

is a much stronger, deeper misery and dejection
unhappy
vsas miserable as a wet hen
463 1.0

Feeling sad or not pleased about something

is a much stronger state of unhappiness and dejection
miserable
vsas miserable as a wet hen
443 1.8

Feeling very unhappy or suffering a lot

is the same extreme state expressed as simple strong sadness
depressed
vsas miserable as a wet hen
441 3.5

Feeling very sad and without hope

is extreme dejection but more general rather than clinical sadness
gloomy
vsas miserable as a wet hen
29 2.5

Feeling sad and without much hope

is extreme unhappiness but not always melancholic in tone
down
vsas miserable as a wet hen
  • Informal
24 6.7

Feeling sad or unhappy

is more extreme unhappiness than casual low mood
glum
vsas miserable as a wet hen
23 4.1

Looking or feeling sad and quiet

is more overt extreme unhappiness rather than quiet gloom
despondent
vsas miserable as a wet hen
18 7.7

Feeling very sad and without hope about the future

is extreme unhappiness but less about lost hope specifically
wretched
vsas miserable as a wet hen
16 5.7

Extremely unhappy and suffering a lot

captures extreme unhappiness in general rather than specific distress
bummed
vsas miserable as a wet hen
  • Informal
16 7.5

Feeling sad or disappointed about something

is much deeper dejection rather than a casual upset
dejected
vsas miserable as a wet hen
5 4.5

Feeling very sad and not hopeful

is the same deep dejection but phrased as extreme unhappiness
disheartened
vsas miserable as a wet hen
5 4.2

Feeling less hopeful and confident after a disappointment

is extreme dejection but not only a loss of hope
dispirited
vsas miserable as a wet hen
5 5.4

Feeling sad and without hope

is deeper extreme unhappiness rather than loss of enthusiasm
crestfallen
vsas miserable as a wet hen
5 7.5

Sad and disappointed because what you hoped for did not happen

is extreme unhappiness not limited to disappointment after hopes fail
downcast
vsas miserable as a wet hen
3 4.7

Feeling sad and without much hope

is stronger extreme dejection rather than general discouraged feeling
discontented
vsas miserable as a wet hen
3 4.3

Feeling unhappy and not satisfied with your situation

is more about strong sadness and dejection rather than mere dissatisfaction
disconsolate
vsas miserable as a wet hen
  • Literature
2 8.2

Very sad and not able to be comforted

is extreme unhappiness but not focused on comfortability
cheerless
vsas miserable as a wet hen
2 5.5

Not bright or warm and making people feel sad

is intense personal misery rather than a general gloomy quality
as a wet hen
vsas miserable as a wet hen
  • Archaic
1 9.9

Very unhappy and angry about something

means extreme unhappiness or dejection without the annoyance focus
discontent
vsas miserable as a wet hen
1 5.3

Not satisfied with the present situation

is deeper emotional misery rather than situational unhappiness

Antonyms

happy
∞ 1.0

Feeling pleased and content

joyful
70 1.0

Feeling or showing great happiness

How Sad

inconsolable
10 7.2
as miserable as a wet hen
  • Informal
9.9
miserable
443 1.8
sad
∞ 1.0
down
  • Informal
24 6.7

Surface Forms

as miserable as a wet hen positive

Morphology

as + miserable + as + a + wet + hen

The expression uses the clearly compositional simile pattern 'as ... as ...', so a learner who knows 'miserable', 'wet' and 'hen' can infer it compares someone's unhappiness to the uncomfortable state of a wet hen. This makes the degree of misery understandable (i.e. very unhappy) from the constituents and common cross-linguistic simile logic.

Etymology

The idiom as miserable as a wet hen comes from a simple image: a wet hen left in the rain looks soaked, cold and with messy feathers, so it seems very unhappy. That's why the phrase is used to mean 'very unhappy'.