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misery

misery

310 2.8
A feeling of great unhappiness and suffering
  • noun
  • /ˈmɪzəri/
translation icon : miseria
  • After losing his job, he was overwhelmed by a deep sense of misery that affected his entire outlook on life.
  • human misery
  • poverty and misery
  • suffering and misery

I started seeing hunger and meal time misery as a sign of virtue.

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Examples

  • Right now people are going through stress, anxiety, depression, misery, all kinds of things.

  • I'm on my way from misery to happiness for me.

  • And man, he brought a lot of misery to our lives.

  • But to your point, this pandemic of misery loves company is real.

  • There is no misery on earth equal to ours.

  • I'm the only one here responsible for my own misery.

  • They've lost everything and the misery that they are now enduring.

  • So they robbed many families of their livelihood and threw the families into misery and trouble.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Nothing could surpass the misery and unhappiness of our home.

  • The humanitarian crisis left thousands in misery, struggling to find food and shelter.

Synonyms

hell
vsmisery
  • Informal
3.7

A very painful or difficult experience

is the emotional state of great unhappiness rather than a harsh situation
pain
vsmisery
1.8

A deep sad feeling caused by losing someone or something

is a larger condition of great unhappiness or suffering rather than just distress
grief
vsmisery
443 2.1

Deep sadness after you lose someone or something important

is broader suffering beyond deep sadness after loss
sadness
vsmisery
229 1.0

A feeling of being unhappy

is more intense, indicating great unhappiness or suffering rather than mild unhappiness
despair
vsmisery
210 3.5

A complete loss of hope

is severe unhappiness or suffering but does not require total loss of hope
agony
vsmisery
135 3.9

A very strong physical or mental pain

is the wider state of unhappiness or suffering rather than acute extreme pain
anguish
vsmisery
96 6.8

A very strong, painful feeling of worry or sadness

is the overall state of unhappiness rather than focused intense distress
woe
vsmisery
  • Literature
95 6.1

A deep sadness or a serious problem someone has

is broader, covering both deep sorrow and general suffering
torment
vsmisery
  • NSFW
70 5.6

Great physical or mental pain someone feels

is the feeling of great unhappiness rather than the act of causing severe pain
gloom
vsmisery
46 3.2

A feeling of sadness and low spirits

is the intense individual feeling of great unhappiness or suffering rather than atmosphere
unhappiness
vsmisery
42 1.8

A feeling of sadness or not feeling satisfied with life

is stronger, indicating great suffering rather than mild sadness
melancholy
vsmisery
20 4.9

A deep, long-lasting feeling of sadness

is the immediate state of great unhappiness or suffering, not only long sadness
hell on earth
vsmisery
  • Informal
9 6.8

A place or situation that causes great suffering and pain

is the personal feeling of great unhappiness rather than a description of place
deep sorrow
vsmisery
4 3.7

A very strong feeling of sadness after a great loss

is the general condition of great unhappiness rather than specific intense grief
wretchedness
vsmisery
3 7.1

A state of great unhappiness and suffering often caused by poverty

is the basic experience of great unhappiness or suffering regardless of cause
miserableness
vsmisery
1 6.0

A feeling of deep unhappiness and suffering

is the general feeling of great unhappiness or suffering rather than the term for it
Weltschmerz
vsmisery
1 9.9

A deep sadness about the suffering and unfairness in the world

is personal great unhappiness or suffering rather than sadness about the world
gloominess
vsmisery
1 3.4

A feeling of sadness and little hope felt by people or in a place

is personal great unhappiness or suffering rather than a general gloomy mood
abjectness
vsmisery
  • Formal
8.8

Extreme misery and suffering that makes life very hard

is severe unhappiness or suffering but not necessarily including degradation
sorrowfulness
vsmisery
6.3

A deep feeling of sadness about a loss

is the broader state of great unhappiness or suffering, not only sorrow
glumness
vsmisery
6.6

A quiet feeling of sadness and low spirits

is more serious and often includes suffering beyond low mood
cheerlessness
vsmisery
6.5

A feeling of sadness and no hope

is deeper and implies suffering rather than just lacking cheerfulness
downness
vsmisery
7.4

A feeling of being sad or low

is more severe, implying great unhappiness or active suffering

Antonyms

970 1.0

A feeling of pleasure and being satisfied

joy
793 1.0

A strong feeling of great happiness

Compounds

A long time when someone suffers a lot

How Miserable

torment
  • NSFW
70 5.6
anguish
96 6.8
misery
310 2.8
sadness
229 1.0
discomfort
119 3.2

Surface Forms

misery singular
miseries plural

Morphology

misery = miser (opaque) = miser + y

Although historically formed from the same root, modern 'miser' means 'stingy person', so learners cannot derive 'suffering' from that base.

Etymology

Misery comes from the old Latin root miser meaning 'wretched' or 'unhappy', and you can see the same root in miserable. So, misery is the state of being very unhappy or in great suffering.