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

Kennedy described addiction as both a source of misery and a symptom of deeper pain, drawing from his own experience of trying to fill an emotional void with drugs. —Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025

Now, though, The Last of Us is as blinded as Ellie is by misery. —Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 21 Apr. 2025

But there is also a compelling symmetry to the fact that a 2-1 comeback win for Fulham at Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day kicked off all of this Chelsea misery. —Liam Twomey, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025

There’s the misery pit of a first New York apartment in the ’90s, when Manhattan felt less shiny and shut off by wealth. —Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 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