misery
B2Neutral to formal; can be used in everyday, literary, and journalistic contexts.
Definition
Meaning
Intense unhappiness, distress, or suffering.
A state of great distress, discomfort, or poverty; a cause of great suffering; a person who is habitually gloomy or complaining.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Refers to both an emotional/psychological state and external conditions causing suffering. The plural 'miseries' often refers to specific instances or causes of suffering. The adjective 'miserable' is more common for describing a person's state.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Slight differences in collocational strength and typical phrasing. The idiom 'put [someone] out of their misery' is equally common. 'Misery guts' as a slang term for a constantly complaining person is slightly more prevalent in UK English.
Connotations
Equally strong negative connotations in both dialects.
Frequency
Comparable frequency in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
to be in miseryto live in miseryto plunge someone into miseryto be a misery to someonethe misery of (something)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “put someone out of their misery”
- “misery loves company”
- “make someone's life a misery”
- “pile on the misery”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Could describe severe economic hardship ('the misery of hyperinflation').
Academic
Used in humanities (literature, history, sociology) to describe human suffering, social conditions, or existential states.
Everyday
Common to describe severe unhappiness or difficult circumstances ('the misery of a long commute', 'He's been in misery since his dog died.').
Technical
Not used as a technical term in most fields; occasionally in psychology/psychiatry as a lay descriptor for extreme dysphoria.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Not a standard verb form.
American English
- Not a standard verb form.
adverb
British English
- Not a standard adverb form. The adverb is 'miserably'.
American English
- Not a standard adverb form. The adverb is 'miserably'.
adjective
British English
- Not a standard adjective form. The adjective is 'miserable'.
American English
- Not a standard adjective form. The adjective is 'miserable'.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The cold weather caused him great misery.
- She told her friend about her misery.
- After losing his job, he fell into deep misery.
- The film showed the misery of war.
- The government's policies have inflicted economic misery on thousands of families.
- He was a constant source of misery to his colleagues with his negative attitude.
- The existential misery portrayed in the novel resonated with post-war disillusionment.
- Her research focuses on alleviating the miseries associated with chronic pain.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
MISERY sounds like 'MISS her, eh?' — missing someone you love can cause great misery.
Conceptual Metaphor
MISERY IS A BURDEN / WEIGHT ('weighed down by misery'), MISERY IS A LOCATION ('sunk into misery', 'in the depths of misery'), MISERY IS A FLUID ('drowning in misery', 'waves of misery').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'misère' (poverty). The closest is 'несчастье' or 'страдание'. The adjective 'miserable' is 'жалкий/несчастный', not directly 'misery'.
- Avoid direct translation of 'misery loves company' as 'несчастье любит компанию'; the established Russian idiom is 'беда одна не ходит'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'misery' as an adjective (*'I feel very misery'). Correct: 'I feel miserable' or 'I am in misery.'
- Confusing 'misery' (state) with 'miserliness' (stinginess).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is a common idiom using 'misery'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Misery' implies a much more intense, severe, and often prolonged state of suffering or unhappiness than 'sadness', which is a general, milder term for feeling unhappy.
Yes, but usually in the plural 'miseries' to refer to specific troubles or causes of suffering (e.g., 'the many miseries of old age'). The singular is typically uncountable, referring to the general state.
It is neutral. It is appropriate in both everyday speech and formal writing, though in very clinical or technical contexts, more precise terms like 'depression', 'distress', or 'dysphoria' might be preferred.
It literally means to end the suffering of a wounded or sick animal by killing it. Figuratively, it means to end someone's anxiety or suspense by giving them information or a decision they have been waiting for.