misery

noun

mis·ery ˈmi-zə-rē

ˈmiz-rē

plural miseries

Synonyms of misery next

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

War brought misery to thousands of refugees.

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

the joys and miseries of life

: a state of great unhappiness and emotional distress

My former boss made my life a misery.

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

While there are notable and beautiful bright spots to All or Nothing (most of which go to infallible Leigh regular Ruth Sheen), the film really doubles down on the ambient misery of these people’s lives. —

Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2024 Adults explain little to her—the possibility of death lies beyond her field of vision—which gives the vivid misery of her treatment a fairy-tale quality. —

Molly Fischer, The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2024 The misery of the Thanksgiving turkey In 2023, my colleague Kenny Torrella published a wrenching investigation into conditions in the US turkey industry. —

Marina Bolotnikova, Vox, 27 Nov. 2024 Demagogues began to blame the labor competition posed by increasing numbers of Chinese immigrants for the miseries of white joblessness and meager pay. —

Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 26 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for misery