plural miseries
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.
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
Life was good, especially after the last three seasons of misery, when games at this time of year were meaningless aside from their impact on the draft lottery.
—
Arpon Basu, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
For civilians, the unrelenting misery of the last 18 months has just got a lot worse – especially as no aid has entered Gaza for six weeks.
—Tim Lister and Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 12 Apr. 2025
Boston Globe: Season 2 may go down some roads that are uncomfortable to follow, but once again, The Last of Us delivers a beautiful misery of a story about the limits of love and humanity in a broken world.
—Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
But these familiar monsters loom in Chekhov too, especially in a speech that Trofimov gives, a building tidal wave of rage against the powerful architects of the world’s misery.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misery
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Arpon Basu, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
For civilians, the unrelenting misery of the last 18 months has just got a lot worse – especially as no aid has entered Gaza for six weeks.
—Tim Lister and Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 12 Apr. 2025
Boston Globe: Season 2 may go down some roads that are uncomfortable to follow, but once again, The Last of Us delivers a beautiful misery of a story about the limits of love and humanity in a broken world.
—Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
But these familiar monsters loom in Chekhov too, especially in a speech that Trofimov gives, a building tidal wave of rage against the powerful architects of the world’s misery.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misery
Cite this Entry
“Misery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misery. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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