Skip to main content

miserygreat unhappiness and emotional or physical pain

Part of speech: NOUN

Definition: great unhappiness and emotional or physical pain

Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈmɪzəri/

Example Sentences

  • After watching 10 hours of boring lectures, the students were in absolute misery.
  • The war brought nothing but death and misery to the innocent civilians.
  • My phone battery died right before my important presentation - pure misery!

misery

NOUN

[/ˈmɪzəri/]

great unhappiness and emotional or physical pain

Soaked and shivering, he stares at his broken umbrella in pure misery.
💡 Concept

Soaked and shivering, he stares at his broken umbrella in pure misery.

History's mystery breeds endless misery
🎵 Rhyme

History's mystery breeds endless misery

Got the picture? Now let's practice.

🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ˈmɪzəri/
🇬🇧 UK/ˈmɪzəri/

🌳Etymology

Rootmiser
Suffix--y

Origin

The word derives from Latin miseria, meaning 'wretchedness' or 'miserable condition.' It conceptually opposes misericordia (mercy or compassion), expressing the suffering felt in circumstances devoid of compassion or relief.

Breakdown

mis- (bad, wretched) + -eria (condition, state). The Latin miseria passed through Old French miserie before entering Middle English as misery, retaining its sense of extreme suffering or wretchedness.

🎵Rhyme

historymysteryblistery
history
mystery
blistery

🔗Collocations

human misery
put out of misery
misery and suffering
abject misery
economic misery
wallow in misery

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

After watching 10 hours of boring lectures, the students were in absolute misery.

The war brought nothing but death and misery to the innocent civilians.

😄 Fun example

My phone battery died right before my important presentation - pure misery!

The refugees fled their homeland to escape the misery of persecution.

📚Related Words

Synonyms

sufferinganguishtormentdistressagony

Antonyms

happinessjoybliss

Related

miserablemisercommiseratecompassion

Want to master 19,000+ words?

Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.