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misère

misery, poverty

noun mee-ZEHR Less Common
Mind & Emotions Emotions

Also means

trifle, pittance (informal)

Usage Note

Misère denotes extreme hardship or destitution, but colloquially une misère can mean a ridiculously small amount — payer une misère means to pay next to nothing. Faire des misères à quelqu'un means to make someone's life difficult. The adjective misérable carries a strong moral or emotional weight.

Examples

"La misère règne dans ce quartier."

Natural Translation

Misery reigns in this neighborhood.

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