Word
misery
Phoneticsmis·ery
US/ˈmɪzɝi/
UK/mˈɪzəɹˌi/
Definitions
01great unhappiness
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. a feeling of being very unhappy or suffering a lot.
n. a state of profound mental or emotional distress; wretchedness.
“The long winter months brought nothing but misery to the isolated villagers.”
“The refugees lived in a state of constant misery, haunted by the memories of the conflict they had left behind.”
Synonyms
02poverty and poor conditions
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. very poor living conditions where people do not have what they need.
n. the state of living in extreme poverty or squalor.
“Thousands of people in the city are living in absolute misery without clean water.”
“The documentary highlighted the systemic misery of the urban slums, where families struggle to survive on less than a dollar a day.”
Antonyms
03a physical ache
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Dialect
n. a physical pain or ache in the body.
n. a localized physical ache or chronic pain. This usage is largely restricted to specific regional dialects.
“The old man complained about a misery in his lower back whenever it rained.”
“She described a constant misery in her joints that made even the simplest household tasks a burden.”
Usage
Often used with the definite article 'a' followed by 'in'.
04an unhappy person
C1 · Advanced Countable noun British English · Informal
n. a person who is always complaining or never seems happy.
n. a person who is habitually morose, pessimistic, or complaining. Primarily used in British English as a mild pejorative.
“Don't be such an old misery; come to the party and have some fun.”
“He had a reputation for being a bit of a misery, rarely joining in the office celebrations or social events.”
Teaching tip
Commonly used in the phrase 'an old misery' regardless of the person's actual age.
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “misery” in context.
Verb
01. alleviate the misery
“New government subsidies were introduced to alleviate the misery of families living below the poverty line.”
verb + noun
02. prolong the misery
“The referee's decision to add six minutes of stoppage time only served to prolong the misery for the losing team.”
verb + noun
03. wallow in misery
“Instead of trying to find a new job, he spent the entire month wallowing in misery.”
verb + prep + noun
Adjective
04. abject misery
“Thousands of refugees are living in conditions of abject misery with no access to clean water.”
adj + noun
05. sheer misery
“The long-haul flight was ten hours of sheer misery due to the cramped seating and constant turbulence.”
adj + noun
Noun
06. misery loves company
“He tried to make everyone else as grumpy as he was, proving that misery loves company.”
noun + verb
07. years of misery
“After years of misery in an unhappy marriage, she finally decided to file for divorce.”
noun + of + noun
Preposition
08. put out of misery
“The vet suggested it was time to put the suffering dog out of its misery.”
verb + prep + noun
Real-World Examples
“Among the misery, the silver lining is that dropping down the pyramid and selling off assets opens up opportunities for young players.” “One of these is the intolerable misery that creeps into the lives of these last remaining survivors in Beckett’s razed world.” Etymology
From Middle English miserie, from Old French miserie (modern: misère), from Latin miseria, from miser, equivalent to miser + -y. Doublet of misère and mizeria.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
The word in film
Misery · 1990 · Mystery
- Directed by:
- Rob Reiner
- Starring:
- Lauren Bacall, Kathy Bates, James Caan
In this Rob Reiner thriller, a famous author is rescued from a car crash only to be held captive by an obsessed fan. The title reflects the intense emotional and physical suffering he endures while trapped in her remote home.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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