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.
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
Sax was a bright spot on the air, sharing insight with humor on the rising star-power of the A’s, including slugger Nick Kurtz and shortstop Jacob Wilson, in a season that had promise and misery all rolled into one.
—
Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2025
The rejection sends Frankenstein’s monster into a tailspin of isolation and misery.
—Jon Michael Varese, The Atlantic, 28 Sep. 2025
By the time the misery was over, Skubal walked toward the dugout, took a hard seat on the bench and clasped his hands.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
Far from signaling misery, crying can be a source of pleasure, as when people pay good money to read a tearjerker or watch a three-hankie movie.
—Big Think, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misery
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.
Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2025
The rejection sends Frankenstein’s monster into a tailspin of isolation and misery.
—Jon Michael Varese, The Atlantic, 28 Sep. 2025
By the time the misery was over, Skubal walked toward the dugout, took a hard seat on the bench and clasped his hands.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
Far from signaling misery, crying can be a source of pleasure, as when people pay good money to read a tearjerker or watch a three-hankie movie.
—Big Think, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misery
Cite this Entry
“Misery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misery. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share