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 Given his druthers, McMahon will take flakes falling from a Colorado sky over the misery of a cold East Coast drizzle. Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 3 Apr. 2025 As if the Israeli people’s losses from October 7th are not grievous enough, their fears for the hostages not haunting enough, and the miseries of the Gazans not shaming enough, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is bringing his country back to war. Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2025 Her trance is rudely broken when Elliott beans the suffering animal with a tire iron, putting it out of its misery—maybe. Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 28 Mar. 2025 Opening day for the White Sox, losers of a modern major league record 121 games a season ago; standard-bearers, now, of a new and unrivaled sort of sports misery. Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for misery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misery
Noun
  • His experiences at Fuchu Prison left him with frostbite, screaming in agony, after being exposed to sub-zero temperatures during 20 days in solitary confinement.
    Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
  • What began as a blissful afternoon in the Florida sun ended in agony when a Jeep Wrangler suddenly barreled over a man lying on the beach, police said.
    Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • At the Santa Monica test location after the rains, the level of beryllium — a metal that is toxic to fish and corals and causes respiratory distress in humans — was more than 10 times the maximum limit allowed.
    Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2025
  • The result: Some doctors and hospitals have held back on treatments, waiting for the fetal heartbeat to stop or for patients to wind up in undeniable distress.
    Kavitha Surana, ProPublica, 27 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • After blowing a 17-point lead in Saturday’s home loss to the Chicago Bulls, the Heat ran into the same nightmare on Monday.
    Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2025
  • But the combination of Metcalf and Pickens will be a nightmare for opposing secondaries, so long as Pickens can jell with the more proven wideout.
    Jeff Howe, The Athletic, 10 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • In a lengthy interview with The Daily Mail, Moran's friend, Terry Stone, told the outlet that Moran's girlfriend was the one to encourage him to seek medical help after the actor was experiencing neck pain.
    Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 2025
  • This not only reduces the immediate emotional pain, but also rebuilds your internal resource pool that no longer needs to be devoted to maintaining the relationship.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Orlov said Ukrainian POWs and civilians are known to be held in harsh conditions, where allegations of abuse and torture are common.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Apr. 2025
  • The principle of universal jurisdiction allows for the prosecution of crimes such as genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and torture committed on foreign territory by persons who are not nationals of the jurisdiction in question.
    Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • In the episode, Duran describes his mental anguish during that time and some of the steps he’s taken since then to improve his mental health.
    Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
  • And all of that anguish of going through that process of retrying to develop my body in a way that will never be the same anyway.
    Outside Online, Outside Online, 26 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Coogler transforms the faux-Faustian blues legend into an allegory of historical horror.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Free League Publishing put out an official Alien Role Playing Game in December of 2019 as part of a fresh batch of space horror games.
    Rob Wieland, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • And of course, a system that has operated in darkness for decades will feel discomfort as it is moved into the light.
    Chris Alexander, New York Daily News, 13 Apr. 2025
  • Yes Yes Sensitive or loose teeth No Yes Receding gum line No Yes Pain or discomfort while chewing Rarely Sometimes Differences While both conditions are forms of the same type of disease, there are some key differences between gingivitis and periodontitis.
    Cristina Mutchler, Health, 12 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Misery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misery. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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