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

Relevance

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 In the fairytale, the princess flees to another kingdom for a while to get away from the misery brought on by her father, finding work as a commoner to conceal her identity. — Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026 Partisans of the Ellroy and Penzler definition probably wouldn’t say so, except perhaps as a diss, proof of a contemporary inability to face misery without slapping on some good cheer at the end. — Peter C. Baker, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026 The player whose arrival in 2022 signaled the end of a five-year run of misery. — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 Cyclospora, an intestinal parasite, has sickened thousands of people and hospitalized hundreds with explosive diarrhea, painful cramping, or other gastrointestinal miseries. — Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 3 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
  • Such is the ecstasy, the agony, of judgment, which was never for their benefit.
    — Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The man with almost no injury was writhing in agony, while the man with a four-inch nail lodged near his brain kept working for six days, not even realizing the nail was there.
    — Kevin Kruse, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of agony
Noun
  • Deed theft often exploits grief, financial distress, inheritance disputes and the limited resources of older homeowners.
    — Landon Dais, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The investors said they were alerted to the company’s financial distress by a September 2025 article published in The Cut.
    — Sabrina Willmer, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of distress
Noun
  • But her kindly and supportive cop boyfriend Nick (Brandon Perea) rightly insists that the duo should perhaps move out of the house when Gemma’s habitual nightmares intensify.
    — Tomris Laffly, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
  • As the title suggests, the film indeed opens with a dream, one that emerges from the nightmares of history.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of nightmare
Noun
  • This new stromal cell injection shifts the focus from traditional pain management to regenerative treatment.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The families of the 157 victims of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 sued Boeing, whose lawyers attempted to argue that the company should not be held liable for pain-and-suffering damages because everyone aboard the plane died on impact.
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of pain
Noun
  • Take a left on the president of the Confederacy who made the torture of Black bodies the cornerstone of his new nation.
    — Terry Gross, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026
  • All three defendants have pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, conspiracy, child abuse and torture.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of torture
Noun
  • Her boisterous pre-teen twins Ethan and Caleb are too young to grasp quite what’s at stake; high school sophomore Sophie (Sandler) has rather more vivid memories of going through this anguish before.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026
  • But Alys recognizes the anguish of a man just beginning his cursed life.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of anguish
Noun
  • The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures fall programming celebrates several anniversary milestones along with a focus on horror.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The Boulet Brothers descend on New York Comic Con to celebrate a decade of horror, filth, and glamour, and open the crypt on the show’s upcoming seventh season.
    — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of horror
Noun
  • And my discomfort and exhaustion and stink and hunger and homesickness rarely waned, for more than five months.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026
  • That may feel uncomfortable after such a long rally, but discomfort alone has never been much of a reason to sell.
    — Andrew Graham, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of discomfort

Browse Nearby Words

misers
misery
misesteem
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Misery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misery. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on misery

Nglish: Translation of misery for Spanish Speakers

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

Listen to the pronunciation of august

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

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

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

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

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
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