Definition of miserynext

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun misery differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of misery are agony, distress, and suffering. While all these words mean "the state of being in great trouble," misery stresses the unhappiness attending especially sickness, poverty, or loss.

the homeless live with misery every day

When could agony be used to replace misery?

The synonyms agony and misery are sometimes interchangeable, but agony suggests pain too intense to be borne.

in agony over the death of their child

When is it sensible to use distress instead of misery?

The meanings of distress and misery largely overlap; however, distress implies an external and usually temporary cause of great physical or mental strain and stress.

the hurricane put everyone in great distress

When is suffering a more appropriate choice than misery?

The words suffering and misery are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, suffering implies conscious endurance of pain or distress.

the suffering of famine victims

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 misery For one 15-year-old in Nepal, the misery continued long after the blisters burst. Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2026 Cuba is miserable, and to travel there without noticing the misery is grotesque all by itself. Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026 This is when producers put her out of her misery and take her back to Longleat. Brian Moylan, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026 Robertson grounds both versions of Niall in a sad-eyed misery, with Bell stepping in and giving the character grace notes of humor that don’t always seem to fit the story. Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for misery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misery
Noun
  • Those who suffered through chickenpox as kids likely remember the agony of its itchy rash.
    Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2026
  • To encompass the story, about a miracle from 847, when Pope Leo IV stopped a fire with a blessing, Raphael brings you into the fresco through the unshod feet of a woman in agony and leaves you near the very back, with a tiny and serene Leo IV.
    Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • In addition to battery, fraud and intentionally inflicting emotional distress, Mendoza is suing Clavicular for the unauthorized publication of her name and likeness.
    Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2026
  • That standard is based on the Five Freedoms of animal welfare developed by the Farm Animal Welfare Council, which include freedom from hunger and thirst; from discomfort; from pain, from injury or disease, from fear and distress; and freedom to express normal behavior.
    Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 29 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • This truly is my living nightmare.
    Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Alice is a rural teacher living on a farm with her adoptive parents, but the unexpected return of her siblings transforms the house into a true nightmare.
    Roberto Prieto, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Two boys tussling over a bladder in a three-foot-high canvas painted by Joseph Wright of Derby in the late 1760s snarl up in a whirlpool of pain, each twisting the other’s right ear.
    Julian Bell, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
  • After eating too many, my mouth burned in pain.
    Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 25 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Among the most notable upcoming executions is that of Christa Pike in Tennessee for the 1995 torture murder of her romantic rival.
    Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
  • When putting on anything other than pajamas seems like pure torture, this T-shirt dress comes to the rescue.
    Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • He was injured and absent from the squad that lost the Championship play-off final here two years ago, but, on this occasion, he would not be spared that especially severe kind of anguish under the arch.
    Beren Cross, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Yet, Seth and Bynum are skeptical of Herold, whose torment and anguish cloaks him better than his long grey coat.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 26 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Who knows the horrors of the seas like HERMAN MELVILLE?
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
  • The psychological horror film, starring Armie Hammer, Dakota Johnson and Zazie Beetz, was distributed by Hulu in the United States and Netflix internationally.
    Brent Lang, Variety, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Colorectal cancer has become the leading cause of cancer death for people under 50, and symptoms of rectal bleeding and discomfort may be mistaken for hemorrhoids.
    Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 29 Apr. 2026
  • That standard is based on the Five Freedoms of animal welfare developed by the Farm Animal Welfare Council, which include freedom from hunger and thirst; from discomfort; from pain, from injury or disease, from fear and distress; and freedom to express normal behavior.
    Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 29 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Misery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misery. Accessed 1 May. 2026.

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