a state of great unhappiness or discomfort, a cause or source of great unhappiness

a necessary evil, a blessing in disguise, the lesser of two evils

make someone's life a misery, take misery to someone's door, wallow in misery

Formal and Informal Expressions of misery

In different contexts, you can replace 'misery' with suitable alternatives. In a more formal setting, 'suffering, distress' is apt. In informal speech or writing, 'pain, agony' is a commonplace synonym.

misery: Explore its Definition & Usage

misery Definition

1a state of great unhappiness or discomfort
2a cause or source of great unhappiness

Using misery: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "misery" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

Example
The refugees were living in utter misery.
Example
She was overwhelmed by a sense of misery and despair.
Example
The company's financial misery continued for years.
Example
He caused nothing but misery for his family.

misery Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for misery

Antonyms for misery

Idioms Using misery

a necessary evil
something that is undesirable but must be accepted
Example
For some people, paying taxes is a necessary evil.
a blessing in disguise
something that seems bad or unlucky at first, but results in something good happening later
Example
Losing his job turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as he found a better one soon after.
the lesser of two evils
a choice between two unpleasant options, where one is less bad than the other
Example
He had to choose between working overtime or losing his job, so he chose the lesser of two evils and worked extra hours.

Phrases with misery

make someone's life a misery
to make someone's life very difficult or unpleasant
Example
Her boss made her life a misery with constant criticism and unreasonable demands.
take misery to someone's door
to cause trouble or suffering for someone
Example
The pandemic has taken misery to the door of many families who lost their loved ones.
wallow in misery
to indulge in self-pity or sadness
Example
After her breakup, she spent weeks wallowing in misery and refused to leave her apartment.

Origins of misery

from Old French 'miserie', from Latin 'misera', meaning 'wretched, unhappy'

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Summary: misery in Brief

The term 'misery' [ˈmɪzəri] refers to a state of great unhappiness or discomfort, often caused by external factors. It can also be used to describe the source of such unhappiness, as in 'The company's financial misery continued for years.' The phrase 'make someone's life a misery' denotes causing difficulty or unpleasantness, while 'wallow in misery' implies indulging in self-pity. Idioms like 'a necessary evil' and 'a blessing in disguise' offer alternative perspectives on difficult situations.