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 Cuomo, age 67 and one of the last powerful men to succumb to the #MeToo movement, is an unlikely standard-bearer for a Democratic Party desperate to move on from the miseries of the past decade, but New York politics isn’t famous for its uncomplicated options. Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 17 June 2025 How might one weigh that hypothetical suffering against the actual misery and destruction caused by the Civil War? The New Yorker, New Yorker, 9 June 2025 The need for food, clean water and living space was unsustainable, even if most of the people trying to secure them lived in misery. Literary Hub, 3 June 2025 Metzler did a wonderful job blending misery and mirth in Maid, a series that was an often-downbeat class critique in which bursts of satire worked as a release valve. Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for misery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misery
Noun
  • Meanwhile, Joseph writhes in the agony of his own newfound girl craziness (and cleavage obsession).
    Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 7 July 2025
  • Williams was never offered any other clear pathway to finding relief—even as the agony from her fibroids was getting worse.
    Kayla Greaves, SELF, 3 July 2025
Noun
  • Buildings continue to fall into economic distress because of government’s housing policies.
    Alva Badillo, New York Daily News, 29 June 2025
  • In line with these ideas, researchers published findings in 2023 that showed that meditation increased people’s concern for the suffering of others—and that, by comparison, people without this practice were more oriented to their own distress.
    Mariah G. Schug, Scientific American, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • For centuries, folklore and popular wisdom have linked poor eating habits and indigestion to nightmares and restless sleep.
    Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 1 July 2025
  • None of this is meant to prompt nightmares of seventh grade civics class, raise doubts about one’s ability to pass a citizenship test, or question the arrangements for Friday’s barbeque.
    Michael Peregrine, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Noun
  • However, not everyone is empathetic enough to understand that this pain is ongoing.
    Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 7 July 2025
  • Six months ago, two weeks before my planned starting date, a mysterious pain in my side sent me to see Doc Morris for a checkup that led to a surprise double surgery to remove both a dodgy gallbladder and a carrot-sized tumor from my lower intestines, the first serious medical crisis of my life.
    James Dodson July 7, Literary Hub, 7 July 2025
Noun
  • There have been reports of human rights violations, including torture and forced confessions at the facility.
    Somayeh Malekian, ABC News, 24 June 2025
  • Washington — The Supreme Court on Monday lifted a lower court order that prevented the Trump administration from deporting migrants to countries that are not their places of origin without first giving them the chance to raise fears of torture, persecution or death.
    June 23, CBS News, 23 June 2025
Noun
  • To date, Operation UNITED has resulted in 33 positive identifications of people whose disappearance had left family members in anguish.
    Michael Kaplan, CBS News, 16 June 2025
  • Even so, the movie’s forceful visual shocks (executed mostly with practical effects) are easier to bear than its restlessly mounting anguish.
    Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times, 29 May 2025
Noun
  • Her post-Sisterhood career has featured roles in horror flicks (The Grudge 2), cringe comedies (The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret), medical dramas (House), and sitcoms (Two and a Half Men).
    EW.com, EW.com, 28 June 2025
  • In May, ProPublica published a story detailing the horrors of Hurricane Helene’s impact on one of those counties, Yancey.
    Jennifer Berry Hawes, ProPublica, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • This reaction is triggered by the mosquito's saliva, which causes our immune system to release histamine, and usually manifests as inflammation, itching, discomfort, and visible red bumps.
    Sarah Y. Wu, Glamour, 7 July 2025
  • Finally, as is the case with many other conditions, doctors routinely dismiss women’s symptoms and discomfort.
    Elizabeth Yuko, Flow Space, 7 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

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

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