MISERIES Synonyms: 73 Similar and Opposite Words

miseries

noun

plural of misery

as in agonies

a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness the flood brought misery to the many hundreds whom it had made homeless

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in pains

a state of great suffering of body or mind a medication that promises to provide greater relief to those living in chronic misery because of arthritis

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of miseries Some residents said hope is elusive given the island’s litany of miseries – from natural disasters to a bankrupt government to a financial control board that manages funding for infrastructure. — Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026 Cyclospora, an intestinal parasite, has sickened thousands of people and hospitalized hundreds with explosive diarrhea, painful cramping, or other gastrointestinal miseries. — Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 3 Aug. 2026 The sad thing is that the miseries return, but there is no other Garrincha available. — Jack Lang, New York Times, 28 May 2026 The parallels between Ines’ dilemma and that of a nation being asked to lick its wounds in silence — in the name of moving on from past miseries — are present but elusive. — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 14 May 2026 For those millions of Americans, spring weather brings sniffles, itchy eyes, asthma exacerbation, and other miseries, with effects ranging from mild symptoms to serious medical emergencies. — Keerti Gopal, ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026 Dengler endured endless torture and other miseries — escaping from prison was just the beginning of his ordeal in the jungle — but Bale plays him as a determined optimist, an indomitable spirit that cannot be crushed. — Tim Grierson, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2026 This week’s massive winter storm dumped more than a foot of snow on at least 19 states, including those like Texas and Tennessee that are less prepared to deal with the miseries of winter weather. — Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026 The victims of prejudice and inequality are always the best guardians of the ramparts that sustain those miseries. — Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for miseries

Noun

Sadly, in discouraging all the phantom agonies, FIFA inadvertently seems to have done away with the equally farcical phenomenon that is Magic Spray®.

— Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 17 July 2026
The reticence of Cartland’s heroes belies agonies of loneliness.

— Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 18 June 2026

Definition of agonies

Noun

In cases that are considered to be too severe — such as when a pregnant woman at the center began experiencing labor pains — those individuals are airlifted to a nearby hospital.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
California has taken pains to eliminate coal as a source of electricity, and this would be the first coal export terminal in California — or anywhere on the West Coast.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of pains

Noun

An episode of septicemia, with its hells and paradises, its nightmares and hallucinations, transforms Borges into a story writer.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026
Curry, who died Tuesday at 80, made a gleefully evil turn as a clown that sparked nightmares for legions of Gen X and millennial viewers that continue to haunt to this day.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of nightmares

Noun

Arthur Miller’s enduring impact rivals Shakespeare’s, with a consistently socially conscious body of work that challenged power structures and society’s complicity during his time and still reaches modern audiences with the horrors of today.

— Greg Evans, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2026
But in between the jump scares and supernatural horrors is a story of motherhood and confronting the past.

— Tanya Fedak, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of horrors

Noun

Tykes get slapped around, shot with arrows and dangled in traffic — tortures that are played seriously, but the shock of them allows you to guffaw.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
But such judgments often come from a place of distance—from people who have never lived under a theocracy that imprisons, tortures, and kills with impunity.

— Nazanin Boniadi, Time, 11 Mar. 2026

Definition of tortures

Noun

So too did Trump spiritual advisor Paula White-Cain, who compared the president’s torments to those of Jesus.

— Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2026
In the face of such grave concerns, Alyoshka’s torments seem self-indulgent and frustrating, but his problem—whether to leave or stay—is far from insignificant.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026

Definition of torments

Browse Nearby Words

misereres

miseries

miserliness

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Miseries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/miseries. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of miseries

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

conscientious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes