MISERY Synonyms: 78 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

misery

noun

ˈmi-zə-rē

Definition of misery

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

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 But a horrible finish underscored by atrocious starting pitching and a 15-37 record across August and September sealed Colorado’s fate to join baseball’s infamous club of teams that have experienced extended misery. — Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 6 Oct. 2026 Cubs fans generally don’t care about the Sox, so their misery was focused solely on their team’s no-show performance at Petco Park. — Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026 His Lamb goes from a brash Yorkshire showman to a callous profiteer of human vice and misery, his cheeky smile becoming a vicious snarl. — Joe Reid, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026 Sunday’s results, coupled with the trouncing in Saxony-Anhalt earlier this month, heap misery on an already beleaguered Merz. — Sebastian Shukla, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for misery

Recent Examples of Synonyms for misery

Noun

The prisoner in question, Doug Korpi, had also admitted that his agony was an act to journalist Ben Blum, who included the revelation in a broader takedown of the experiment published in 2018.

— Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
The daughters of burning witches were sometimes made to stand close to the pyre, being whipped by locals while watching their mothers die in agony.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of agony

Noun

The rise of self-harm influencers—people for whom demonstrating their distress online has become a source of income and validation—is a terrifying new development.

— Gavin Francis, The New York Review of Books, 24 Oct. 2026
CoreWeave, the leader of the pack, has seen spreads on its CDS widen past 11%, generally viewed as a distress level, as investors have to pay up for protection against default.

— Isabel O'Brien, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of distress

Noun

People with large or overactive chewing muscles, often from clenching or grinding, who want to soften a bulky lower-face look or ease jaw pain.

— Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Oct. 2026
Cayenne pepper contains capsaicin, which may lower inflammation and pain.

— Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of pain

Noun

The screwdrivers were recovered from his car’s trunk, and are purported to be torture utensils.

— Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
Sarah Kimani, Amnesty International’s media manager, told the AP in a January interview that the organization’s research documents summary executions, torture, abductions and rape by both government forces and the OLA.

— ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of torture

Noun

In a masterful unbroken shot, Klaus is on the phone from France with his sister, expressing his bottomless anguish.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Polly, by contrast, reads the manuscript and is immediately filled with anguish and all-consuming fury.

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of anguish

Noun

This article contains spoilers from popular horror movies and shows.

— Arryn Robbins, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026
First introduced in Stephen King’s 1974 novel, Carrie, the character was immortalized in director Brian De Palma’s 1976 adaptation, widely regarded as one of the best horror films of all time.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of horror

Browse Nearby Words

misers

misery

misesteem

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Misery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misery. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of misery

noun

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

11 Words for Miserly People

11 Authors on Their One-Word Book Titles

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes

Synonyms of misery

noun

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Articles Related to misery

11 Words for Miserly People

11 Authors on Their One-Word Book Titles

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes