misery

noun

ˈmi-zə-rē How to pronounce misery (audio)
Definition of miserynext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 This summer’s misery has been driven less by scorching afternoons than by record-warm nights and Miami-level humidity, according to scientist Daniel Swain. — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026 Elci said the uncertainty — and being taken off the air for even a day — was misery. — Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 18 Aug. 2026 Another finds his misery exacerbated by a Christmas spent shooting a war movie opposite its star Brad Pitt’s stand-in, in a rare evocation of how impersonal blockbuster filmmaking has become. — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026 But an agent may be harmed when its interests are thwarted, its autonomy denied or its existence ended without any pain or misery. — Andréa Morris, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for misery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misery
  1. agony
  2. distress
  3. nightmare
  4. pain
  5. torture
  6. anguish
  7. horror
  8. discomfort
Noun
  • Bugs Bunny jams himself against the edge and grits his teeth in agony.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The striking bronze sculpture depicts an outstretched arm reaching to the sky as hundreds of small human figures cling to it and each other with expressions of agony.
    — Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of agony
Noun
  • Its movements and squeaks change in response to the person interacting with it, giving caregivers another way to reduce distress and encourage engagement.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
  • He was found kneeling in front of a piano and striking the keys, in apparent distress.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of distress
Noun
  • Anaheim’s long nightmare is over, writes columnist Gustavo Arellano.
    — Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • In outline, these are elegant Bond-villain machines for faceless, leaderless, pervasive espionage and assassination, the stuff of paranoid nightmares and stochastic violence.
    — Finn Brunton, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of nightmare
Noun
  • For a dressier option, the Franco Sarto Loran Slides are heralded by a Travel+Leisure writer who recently wore them all over Europe with zero foot pain.
    — Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The hospital basically told me to get over it and sleep it off but the pain was traumatic physically and mentally.
    — Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of pain
Noun
  • The lawsuit claims that Quero Silva, as the top military authority in Barquisimeto, a city in central-western Venezuela, oversaw their torture in the headquarters of the National Guard in the region.
    — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
  • However, Pearl Fernandez and Isauro Aguirre were ultimately responsible for the torture and murder of Gabriel and were prosecuted for that, and they were convicted of that.
    — Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of torture
Noun
  • For Alex’s family, those seven months have done little to dull the anguish over what happened to him — or their determination to see the two officers who fired the shots held responsible.
    — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Some say there is a fine line between anguish or sadness — and laughter.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of anguish
Noun
  • This grief-horror debut centers on the Nakba, the 1948 Arab-Israeli War’s displacement of Palestinians.
    — Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • There’s even a nod to 28 Days Later, with Zeta-Jones hobbling across a deserted Westminster Bridge in London wearing blue hospital scrubs, just like Cillian Murphy’s Jim in the 2002 horror movie.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of horror
Noun
  • King seemed stranded in a faraway world, tortured by a discomfort that no amount of affection could soothe.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Bidets may also ease discomfort from hemorrhoids, fistulas and anal fissures, and help people with chronic diarrhea or conditions that require frequent wiping.
    — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of discomfort

Browse Nearby Words

misers
misery
misesteem
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Cite this Entry

“Misery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misery. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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