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 But a horrible finish underscored by atrocious starting pitching and a 15-37 record across August and September sealed Colorado’s fate to join baseball’s infamous club of teams that have experienced extended misery. — Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 6 Oct. 2026 Cubs fans generally don’t care about the Sox, so their misery was focused solely on their team’s no-show performance at Petco Park. — Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026 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 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
  • The minutes had passed so quickly for the rest of the world, but for the families waiting to learn whether their children were alive, the abrupt end of the gunfire wasn’t the end of their agony.
    — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The daughters of burning witches were sometimes made to stand close to the pyre, being whipped by locals while watching their mothers die in agony.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of agony
Noun
  • The patient's distress was intense at first, Dugas said, but diminished considerably by the second day.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
  • CoreWeave credit default swaps hit distress levels as investors soured on AI debt.
    — Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of distress
Noun
  • After the raid, his daughter struggled with recurring nightmares, the lawsuit said.
    — Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Recurring nightmares Juana Rodriguez attended the festival with her three-year-old son.
    — Philip Wang, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of nightmare
Noun
  • Those include genital itching, abnormal discharge, pelvic pain and burning during urination.
    — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The battle for political advantage ahead of elections should not obscure a reasonable expectation that governments can intervene to soften the pain of citizens, said Vahyala Kwaga, country head for Nigeria at policy research group BudgIT.
    — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of pain
Noun
  • After hours of torture, Chamberlain managed to free one of her hands from a pair of handcuffs with her teeth, unclip a leather leg restraint and quietly bolt out the door as Evonitz slept.
    — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The psychological torture of this show on its audience knows no bounds.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of torture
Noun
  • Set to a downtempo bachata, the track features Lorén’s penetrating vocals filled with anguish at the impossible cycle of working endlessly to make ends meet.
    — Vanessa Diaz, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Abrams does yeoman’s work with a character stuck in a tight spot for most of the running time, constantly grunting and gasping with a mixture of anguish and exhaustion as his body gets progressively more beat up and broken.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of anguish
Noun
  • Her controlled world is turned into a site of emotional horror as a new reality dawns, created and dominated by autonomous feelings.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
  • But while Cartman and Ike are in Sephora, they get enticed into going into the backrooms with an employee, which look straight out of Kane Parsons’ horror film.
    — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of horror
Noun
  • Meta’s efforts to scapegoat staff seem to ignore that staff expressed discomfort in being directed to pirate work.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Any adjustment should follow rules established in advance, not be motivated by your discomfort with the position.
    — Thomas Hartmann, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of discomfort

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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 21 Oct. 2026.

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