misery

noun

mis·​ery ˈmi-zə-rē 

ˈmiz-rē

plural miseries

1

: a state of suffering and want that is the result of poverty or affliction

War brought misery to thousands of refugees.

2

: a circumstance, thing, or place that causes suffering or discomfort

the joys and miseries of life

3

: a state of great unhappiness and emotional distress

My former boss made my life a misery.

Synonyms

• agony
• Gehenna
• hell
• horror
• murder
• nightmare
• torment
• torture

Choose the Right Synonym for misery

distress, suffering, misery, agony mean the state of being in great trouble.

distress implies an external and usually temporary cause of great physical or mental strain and stress.

the hurricane put everyone in great distress

suffering implies conscious endurance of pain or distress.

the suffering of famine victims

misery stresses the unhappiness attending especially sickness, poverty, or loss.

some people live in misery every day

agony suggests pain too intense to be borne.

in agony over the death of their child

Examples of misery in a Sentence

The war brought misery to thousands of refugees.

They were living in overcrowded slums in conditions of great misery.

a source of human misery

the joy and misery of life

The last years of her life were a misery.

Stop being such a misery.

Recent Examples on the Web

Ultimately, what is likely driving the protests is that these Palestinians are exhausted from the sheer misery Hamas has brought upon them. —Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025

Despite on-ice misery, the Flyers have packed at least 18,000 fans for every game during their last two homestands. —Hailey Salvian, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025

The mood on the ground in Brazil surrounding the national team has not been very positive for some time now, and defeat in such fashion to Argentina has only compounded the misery. —Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025

To add to the misery, last week Doctors Without Borders warned there was a cholera outbreak in the country, with over 1,300 cases. —Kate Bartlett, NPR, 22 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing misery

• misery guts
• misery index
• put (an animal) out of its misery

Kids Definition

misery

noun

mis·​ery ˈmiz-(ə-)rē 

plural miseries

1

: a state of great suffering and want due to poverty or misfortune

2

: a source of misery

3

: a state of unhappiness