misère

/mɪˈzɛə(ɹ)//miːˈzɛə(ɹ)/

noun

A bid to lose every trick, or the majority of tricks, with no trumps.

“A strategy in misère backgammon is to put six blots in a row.”

OriginFrench misère →
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounmisère (usually uncountable, plural misères)

plural misères · alternative misere

  1. uncountableusuallyespecially whistcard gamesA bid to lose every trick, or the majority of tricks, with no trumps.

    The exasperating frequency of hands where one card alone, such as a king or ace, supported by a deuce only, or king or ace bare, debars the holder from calling misère is an experience common to every player.

    1895, Barry Pain, Jerome Klapka Jerome (contributors), To-Day, A Weekly Magazine-Journal, volume 9, number 105, page 248
adjectivemisère (not comparable)

alternative misere

  1. not comparablePlayed according to the reverse of the usual winning convention.

    A strategy in misère backgammon is to put six blots in a row.

  2. not comparableOf a game, in which a player who is unable to move wins.

Origin

  1. Frenchmisère
  2. Englishmisère

Borrowed from French misère. Doublet of misery and mizeria.

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with misère

aretherewherecarecompareairsharehairmaryrepairfairbearwearrarelayerpairawareprepareprayermayorterrorPierresparebare
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

misère. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mis%C3%A8re

MLA

“misère.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mis%C3%A8re. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “misère,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mis%C3%A8re.

Source: misère on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.