elend
Translation
miserable, wretched, pitiful, dire
Examples
Nach der Krankheit fühlte er sich elend.
After the illness, he felt miserable.
Sie lebten in elenden Verhältnissen.
They lived in wretched conditions.
Grammar Patterns
predicative: to be/feel ((...)) predicatively: to be/feel miserable He feels elend.
attributive: ((...)) + Noun attributively: a miserable (...) They live an elendes life.
Similar Words
Synonyms: wretched, pitiful; Antonyms: happy, cheerful
Etymology
From Old High German 'elilenti' (in a foreign land), which often implied misery and exile.
Memory Tips
It sounds a bit like 'ill-end'. An illness that ends badly makes you feel miserable.