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 His gay life, sadly, is mostly a source of early misery and bitter feeling—a reminder of how recently, and how blessedly, homosexuality has been normalized. Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 19 May 2025 The Best Clothing Box Photograph: Stitch Fix Stitch Fix Kids Clothes Box $16 Stitch Fix As my kids have gotten older, shopping for their clothes has become a misery. Adrienne So, Wired News, 17 May 2025 The value of the Syrian currency plummeted during the civil war years, adding to the misery. Raja Abdulrahim, New York Times, 15 May 2025 Elvis, for example, couldn’t set foot outside Graceland in the light of day for fear of being mobbed and this brought him misery. Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for misery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misery
Noun
  • Barking in agony, the fox scratches and claws in any attempt to free itself and get to safety.
    Outside Online, Outside Online, 28 May 2025
  • Michaela calmly explains that Jocelyn got botched plastic surgery that’s kept her in private agony for the last decade.
    Caroline Framke, Vulture, 23 May 2025
Noun
  • The report highlights research on young adults that shows that trans students who participate in collegiate sports are less likely to experience distress, self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
    Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 6 June 2025
  • That places an onerous burden on Henson, doing her considerable best trying to sustain a role whose Job-like travails crank the distress level to 11 too soon.
    Dennis Harvey, Variety, 6 June 2025
Noun
  • Left-hander Reid Detmers, whose three-game nightmare stretch a month ago began with a game in Seattle, struck out two in a scoreless inning, including Mariners star Cal Raleigh.
    Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 7 June 2025
  • For rule-followers like me, the prankster types were a nightmare.
    Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 7 June 2025
Noun
  • Winant crystallizes this idea of crossing a indescribable threshold through her discussion and analysis of masochism, an intrinsic component of athletic practice that intertwines physical pleasure with pain.
    Jessica Simmons-Reid, Artforum, 1 June 2025
  • The primary question negotiators must settle is how to share the pain of shrinking water supplies between the Upper Basin — which includes Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming and Utah — and the Lower Basin states of Arizona, California and Nevada.
    Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 31 May 2025
Noun
  • As many as 40,000 Ravensbrück inmates died of starvation, disease, torture, shooting, lethal injections, medical experiments, and from lethal gas.
    Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 4 June 2025
  • Secretary Noem argues the program has been abused, but immigration advocacy groups have warned that many immigrants would be vulnerable to abuse, torture, or arrest should they be forced to return home.
    Dan Gooding Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
Noun
  • Among the thousands left in anguish is Sasha Escalante, a 44-year-old Venezuelan radio producer living in Miami.
    Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 5 June 2025
  • Criminalizing them can lead to extended mental anguish.
    Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
Noun
  • Phobias, a silent clown duo with a horror twist, brought eerie theatrics to the stage — complete with balloon popping and unsettling surprises — and successfully freaked out the judges (especially Howie Mandel).
    Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 4 June 2025
  • The project marks the Indian star’s first horror entertainer, a departure from his typical action fare.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 June 2025
Noun
  • Despite these incidents, her boyfriend seems to shrug off her concerns and isn’t taking her discomfort seriously.
    Ashley Vega, People.com, 1 June 2025
  • Instead, stand firm and push through this discomfort into the next, new chapter of your life.
    Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Misery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misery. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on misery

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!