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 Relief from flight delay misery doesn't yet appear in sight for people traveling to or from the Northeast. Michael Salerno, AZCentral.com, 24 Feb. 2026 Blizzard-like conditions whipped into Connecticut overnight Sunday into Monday, knocking out power to thousands of customers in the state, clogging roads, closing schools and generally creating other misery. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 23 Feb. 2026 And the misery is expected to continue on Tuesday. Chase Jordan, Charlotte Observer, 23 Feb. 2026 Some joyous news could arrive, after all the misery in the world. Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 21 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for misery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misery
Noun
  • Compared with all that — and the agony for the Dodgers of leaving the bases loaded in the top of the 10th — the go-ahead homer, by Smith off Shane Bieber with two outs in the top of the 11th, was almost elementary.
    Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2026
  • But Open, Heaven also courses with youth’s great agony, the cruelty that learning to love should be inexorably followed by learning to grieve its undoing.
    Gabrielle Bellot, Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Experts have long warned about the limits of AI in detecting emotional distress and the risks of immersive chatbot interactions.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Mar. 2026
  • In other calls, medical staff asked for ambulances for a 6-year-old boy with lethargy and a high fever, a 14-month-old in respiratory distress, and a 22-month-old with a fever and low oxygen levels.
    Laura Romero, ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The combination of weak hiring and increasing inflationary pressures arising from the war creates a nightmare for the Federal Reserve, which must decide whether to cut interest rates to help the job market or hold off to help keep a lid on prices.
    Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Johnson said the freshman was a mismatch nightmare, bullying smaller guards and utilizing his quickness against larger forwards.
    Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 5 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Despite major medical advances in non-opioid pain care, Medicare’s pricing structure still places generic opioids at the lowest cost tier, while safer non-opioid medications carry copays 10 to 20 times higher.
    Saul Anuzis, Boston Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
  • The pain fell hardest on all-female founding teams, which posted steeper drops in both deal value and count than mixed-gender cohorts, continuing a now multi-year divergence.
    Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • As the owner of the Tony’s Witches group on Telegram, Ravelo acquired the monkey torture videos from an Ohio man who was separately charged in 2024.
    Jay Weaver, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026
  • The torture took place on an elevator that had a habit of getting stuck.
    James Verini, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Experiencing that joy and anguish can be beneficial for this still-developing group.
    Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2026
  • Cue awe-inspiring action sequences, gory battles and mental anguish that pushes Ritchson, er, 81, to his physical limits.
    Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 7 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The period between sequels left plenty of room for satire at the expense of the horror genre, which expanded rapidly in the wake of the original film.
    Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Mar. 2026
  • The horror has come now like a storm— what if this night prefigured the night after death— what if all thereafter was an eternal quivering on the edge of an abyss, with everything base and vicious in oneself urging one forward and the baseness and viciousness of the world just ahead.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • For those who have physically transitioned – and whose appearance now aligns with their gender identity – using public restrooms may cause even more discomfort and confusion.
    David Williams, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
  • Darvas understood that discomfort was actually part of the edge.
    Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 4 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Misery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misery. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.

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