Explanation at your level:
Misery means you are very, very sad. If you are cold and hungry, you feel misery. It is a bad feeling.
Misery is a noun. It describes a time when life is very hard. For example, 'The rain caused misery for the campers.' It means they were not happy because of the weather.
You use misery to talk about extreme unhappiness. It can describe a person's feelings or a bad situation. People often say 'living in misery' when they have a very difficult life.
Misery is a strong, emotive word. It is often used in literature or journalism to describe the suffering of groups of people. It is more intense than just 'sadness' or 'unhappiness.'
In advanced English, misery is used to describe a state of wretchedness. It is often paired with verbs like 'endure' or 'inflict.' It carries a nuance of hopelessness or long-term suffering.
Misery encompasses both the subjective experience of emotional agony and the objective reality of squalid conditions. It is a staple in classic literature, often used to explore the human condition and the persistence of suffering in the face of adversity.
30초 단어
- Misery is extreme unhappiness.
- It is a noun.
- It comes from the Latin 'miser'.
- It is often used in formal and literary contexts.
When we talk about misery, we are describing a level of unhappiness that goes beyond just having a bad day. It is a deep, heavy feeling of distress.
Think of it as a state where your surroundings or your internal feelings are so difficult that you feel trapped. It is often used to describe both the emotional state of a person and the physical conditions they are living in.
For example, you might hear about the 'misery of poverty' or the 'misery of a long, cold winter.' It is a powerful word that carries a lot of weight in English.
The word misery has deep roots in history. It comes from the Latin word miser, which literally means 'wretched' or 'unhappy.'
It entered the English language through Old French in the 14th century. Interestingly, the Latin root miser is also the ancestor of words like 'miserable' and 'miser.' A 'miser' is someone who hoards money, often living in self-imposed misery because they are too afraid to spend what they have.
Over centuries, the word has remained remarkably consistent in its meaning, always pointing toward a state of suffering or misfortune.
In daily conversation, you will often hear people use misery to describe situations that are unpleasant. It is a fairly strong word, so we usually save it for serious topics.
Common phrases include 'end someone's misery' or 'living in misery.' It is used in both formal writing—like news reports about humanitarian crises—and casual speech when someone is complaining about a bad situation.
Be careful not to use it for minor inconveniences! If you just don't like your lunch, you are 'disappointed,' not in 'misery.'
1. Put someone out of their misery: To end someone's suffering, often by giving them bad news quickly or solving a problem. 2. Misery loves company: People who are unhappy often want others to be unhappy with them. 3. A glutton for misery: Someone who seems to enjoy or seek out situations that make them unhappy. 4. The depths of misery: The most intense level of sadness. 5. Add to the misery: To make an already bad situation even worse.
The word misery is an uncountable noun, meaning we don't usually say 'miseries' unless we are referring to specific, distinct types of suffering. The stress is on the first syllable: MIZ-er-ee.
In IPA, it is written as /ˈmɪz.ər.i/. It rhymes with words like 'dizzy' (loosely) or 'fizzery' (though that is not a common word!). It is a simple three-syllable word that is easy to pronounce once you get the 'miz' sound down.
Fun Fact
Related to the word 'miser', someone who is so unhappy they hoard money.
Pronunciation Guide
Clear 'miz' sound, short 'er' sound.
Similar to UK, slightly faster.
Common Errors
- Pronouncing as 'my-zer-ee'
- Stressing the wrong syllable
- Dropping the 'er' sound
Rhymes With
Difficulty Rating
Easy to read
Easy to use
Easy to say
Easy to hear
What to Learn Next
Prerequisites
Learn Next
고급
Grammar to Know
Uncountable Nouns
Misery is uncountable.
Adjective vs Noun
Miserable vs Misery.
Prepositional Phrases
In misery.
Examples by Level
He felt great misery.
He felt very sad.
Noun usage.
The dog was in misery.
The dog was unhappy.
Prepositional phrase.
No more misery.
No more sadness.
Simple phrase.
She ended the misery.
She stopped the pain.
Transitive verb.
Misery is bad.
Sadness is not good.
Subject-verb.
They saw misery.
They saw sadness.
Object.
Stop the misery.
End the pain.
Imperative.
I hate misery.
I don't like sadness.
Verb-noun.
The long war brought misery to everyone.
She lived in absolute misery for years.
The cold weather added to their misery.
He tried to hide his misery from his friends.
Don't let your misery ruin your day.
The book is about the misery of the poor.
They suffered through years of misery.
He found a way out of his misery.
The refugees lived in a state of constant misery.
She felt a sense of misery after the breakup.
The company's failure caused misery for many families.
He was a man who seemed to thrive on misery.
The movie depicts the misery of life in the slums.
I don't want to hear about your misery all day.
The project was a source of misery for the team.
They were saved from their misery by a kind stranger.
The sheer misery of the situation was overwhelming.
He was dragged into a life of poverty and misery.
The poem captures the depths of human misery.
She tried to alleviate the misery of the orphans.
There is a certain misery in being alone.
The misery of the long winter seemed endless.
He was indifferent to the misery around him.
The misery of defeat was hard to swallow.
The novel is a harrowing account of human misery.
He felt a profound sense of misery at the news.
The misery of the working class was ignored by the elite.
She was a beacon of hope in a sea of misery.
The misery of his existence was palpable.
He sought to escape the misery of his past.
The misery of the situation was compounded by the rain.
They were trapped in a cycle of unending misery.
The existential misery of the protagonist is central to the plot.
The sheer scale of the misery caused by the famine was staggering.
He was a connoisseur of his own self-inflicted misery.
The misery of the human condition is a recurring theme.
She observed the misery of the inhabitants with detachment.
The misery of the era was captured in the bleak landscape paintings.
He was unable to transcend the misery of his upbringing.
The misery of the soul is often hidden behind a smile.
자주 쓰는 조합
Idioms & Expressions
"Misery loves company"
Unhappy people want others to be unhappy too
He's complaining to everyone; misery loves company.
casual"Put out of one's misery"
End a painful situation
Tell me the score and put me out of my misery.
casual"In the depths of misery"
Extremely sad
She was in the depths of misery after the loss.
neutral"A glutton for misery"
Someone who likes bad situations
Why do you keep watching sad movies? You're a glutton for misery!
casual"Add to the misery"
Make things worse
The cold weather really added to the misery.
neutral"The misery of it all"
The overall bad feeling of a situation
I just can't stand the misery of it all.
casualEasily Confused
Similar spelling
Mystery is a puzzle, misery is sadness
The mystery was solved; the misery was not.
Same root
Miser is a person, misery is a state
The miser lived in misery.
Adjective form
Miserable describes a person/state
He felt miserable in his misery.
Similar meaning
Sorrow is usually about loss
He felt sorrow for the loss, and misery in his life.
Sentence Patterns
Subject + is in + misery
He is in misery.
Subject + caused + misery
The war caused misery.
Subject + lived in + misery
They lived in misery.
The + misery + of + noun
The misery of the poor.
End + someone's + misery
End his misery.
어휘 가족
Nouns
Adjectives
관련
How to Use It
7
Formality Scale
자주 하는 실수
Misery is a noun, miserable is the adjective.
Misery implies extreme, deep suffering.
We don't call people 'a misery' usually.
Misery is usually uncountable.
They sound similar but mean totally different things.
Tips
Memory Palace Trick
Imagine a 'miser' who is so sad he is in 'misery'.
When Native Speakers Use It
When describing long-term suffering.
Cultural Insight
Often associated with Victorian literature.
Grammar Shortcut
Use it as a noun after 'the' or 'in'.
Say It Right
Focus on the short 'i' sound.
Don't Make This Mistake
Don't say 'I am misery'.
Did You Know?
It shares a root with 'miser'.
Study Smart
Learn it alongside 'miserable'.
Better Writing
Use it to add emotional weight to a story.
Sound Natural
Use it in the phrase 'end my misery'.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
MIZ (like Miss) + ERY (like ery). Miss-ery: The misery of missing someone.
Visual Association
A person sitting alone in the rain.
Word Web
챌린지
Write three sentences using 'misery' today.
어원
Latin
Original meaning: wretched
문화적 맥락
Can be a sensitive word when discussing poverty.
Often used in literature to describe the plight of the poor.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
At work
- The misery of long hours
- End the project misery
In literature
- The depths of misery
- A life of misery
In news
- Human misery
- The misery of the refugees
Personal life
- Living in misery
- A source of misery
Conversation Starters
"What is the biggest cause of misery in the world?"
"Have you ever felt true misery?"
"How do you help someone in misery?"
"Is misery always a bad thing?"
"Can you describe a book that deals with misery?"
Journal Prompts
Write about a time you felt deep misery.
How can we reduce human misery?
Is it possible to be happy in misery?
Describe the misery of a cold, winter day.
자주 묻는 질문
8 질문No, it is a noun.
Only in specific contexts like 'the miseries of life'.
It is much stronger than sadness.
Miserable.
Only if the day was truly terrible.
It is used in both formal and informal settings.
Yes, miseries, but it is rare.
MIZ-er-ee.
셀프 테스트
He felt great ___.
Misery is a feeling.
What does misery mean?
Misery is extreme sadness.
Misery is a happy feeling.
Misery is the opposite of happy.
Word
뜻
Match the word to its meaning.
Correct structure.
The war brought ___ to the people.
War brings suffering.
Which is a synonym?
Distress is a synonym.
Misery is a countable noun.
It is usually uncountable.
He was in the ___ of misery.
Idiom: depths of misery.
What is the adjective form?
Miserable is the adjective.
점수: /10
Summary
Misery is not just being sad; it is a profound state of suffering that affects your whole being.
- Misery is extreme unhappiness.
- It is a noun.
- It comes from the Latin 'miser'.
- It is often used in formal and literary contexts.
Memory Palace Trick
Imagine a 'miser' who is so sad he is in 'misery'.
When Native Speakers Use It
When describing long-term suffering.
Cultural Insight
Often associated with Victorian literature.
Grammar Shortcut
Use it as a noun after 'the' or 'in'.
