Synonyms of misery

misery

noun

ˈmi-zə-rē 

1

as in agony

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

• agony
• nightmare
• torture
• horror
• torment
• curse
• murder
• hell
• tragedy
• misfortune
• ordeal
• calamity
• tribulation
• Gehenna
• cross
• trial
• affliction
• thorn
• drag
• calvary
• gall
• downer
• bummer

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• heaven
• joy
• pleasure
• entertainment
• recreation
• delight
• fun
• paradise
• diversion
• riot
• picnic
• lark

2

as in distress

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

• agony
• distress
• pain
• anguish
• discomfort
• torment
• torture
• woe
• tribulation
• sorrow
• hurt
• sadness
• excruciation
• pang
• hardship
• travail
• heartbreak
• rack
• affliction
• strait(s)
• unhappiness
• difficulty
• trouble
• danger
• heartache
• emergency
• ache
• crucible
• joylessness
• cross
• jeopardy
• soreness
• trial
• twinge
• stitch
• pinch
• throe
• rigor
• smarting
• asperity

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• comfort
• relief
• consolation
• solace
• alleviation
• ease
• peace
• security
• assuagement
• well-being

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

Recent Examples of misery

His Lamb goes from a brash Yorkshire showman to a callous profiteer of human vice and misery, his cheeky smile becoming a vicious snarl. — Joe Reid, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026

Sunday’s results, coupled with the trouncing in Saxony-Anhalt earlier this month, heap misery on an already beleaguered Merz. — Sebastian Shukla, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026

The Strip had been largely obliterated in the war between Hamas and Israel, and most of its two million inhabitants were living in tents or in the ruins; images of human misery had flooded screens around the world. — Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026

That winter, Kiju and I suffered together but separately, content in our misery. — Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026