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.

There’s a certain irony in the fact that those on the celebrity circuit — who appear to hover above the mundanity and misery of cubicle working and employee dress codes — are embracing this staunch symbol of corporate professionalism. —

Leah Dolan, CNN, 17 Dec. 2024 Living with an ever-present feeling of sadness and misery will break you. —

Terina Allen, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024 The self-loathing that never really went away will come back in full force; the cycle of misery continues. —

Barry Levitt, TIME, 6 Dec. 2024 So Rikers grew — and its reputation for violence, for negligent, even malevolent management and overall misery grew along with it. —

Jelani Cobb, Rolling Stone, 4 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for misery