misery

noun

mis·​ery ˈmi-zə-rē 
ˈmiz-rē
plural miseries
Synonyms of misery
1
: a state of suffering and want that is the result of poverty or affliction
War brought misery to thousands of refugees.
2
: a circumstance, thing, or place that causes suffering or discomfort
the joys and miseries of life
3
: a state of great unhappiness and emotional distress
My former boss made my life a misery.
We had to put the animal out of its misery. [=end the animal's suffering by killing it]

Synonyms of misery

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for misery

distress, suffering, misery, agony mean the state of being in great trouble.

distress implies an external and usually temporary cause of great physical or mental strain and stress.

the hurricane put everyone in great distress

suffering implies conscious endurance of pain or distress.

the suffering of famine victims

misery stresses the unhappiness attending especially sickness, poverty, or loss.

some people live in misery every day

agony suggests pain too intense to be borne.

in agony over the death of their child

Examples of misery in a Sentence

The war brought misery to thousands of refugees. They were living in overcrowded slums in conditions of great misery. a source of human misery the joy and misery of life The last years of her life were a misery. Stop being such a misery.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
But Moores would express misery in recalling ballpark-construction hassles and MLB politics that frustrated his advocacy of small-market clubs and game-day affordability. — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026 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 Curse of the Bambino The roots of Boston’s misery stretched all the way back to 1919, when the Red Sox sold Babe Ruth – then a star pitcher and slugger who would become arguably the greatest player in baseball history – to the Yankees. — Emile Nuh, CNN Money, 23 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 See All Example Sentences for misery

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of misery was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing misery

Browse Nearby Words

miserly
misery
misery guts
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Misery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misery. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

misery

noun
mis·​ery ˈmiz-(ə-)rē 
plural miseries
1
: a state of great suffering and want due to poverty or misfortune
2
: a source of misery
3
: a state of unhappiness
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All