[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/misery/)

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# misery

noun (misery, miseries)

«misery» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Great unhappiness or suffering, in body or mind. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misery/#m1)
2. Very poor and hard living conditions: «they lived in misery». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misery/#m2)
3. (UK, informal) A person who is always grumpy and complaining: «Don't be such a misery!» [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misery/#m3)
4. (idioms) «make someone's life a misery» (keep upsetting them); «put an animal out of its misery» (kill it kindly to end its suffering); «put someone out of their misery» (tell them news they are anxious to hear). [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misery/#m4)

### In the lessons

In stories, misery describes deep sadness, loss or hard lives, like Victorian children working in factories. In everyday life people use it for small troubles jokingly: «the misery of Monday mornings». In history, war and poverty caused great misery. Phrases: «a life of misery», «misery guts» (UK, informal grumpy person), «make life a misery».

### Examples

- The war brought misery to millions of people. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misery/#x1)
- The bully made her life a misery. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misery/#x2)
- Don't be such a misery – come and play! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misery/#x3)
- Come on, put me out of my misery and tell me the score! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misery/#x4)
- The flood left the town in misery. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misery/#x5)
- Grandad calls my brother a «misery guts» when he sulks. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misery/#x6)
- Toothache is pure misery. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misery/#x7)
- Charity groups work to end the misery of hunger. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misery/#x8)
- Save my child from all that misery! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misery/#x9)

### Note

Mostly uncountable, but «miseries» is used for different troubles. Adjective: miserable. Pronounced «MIZ-er-ee». Spelling: miser + y. A «miser» is a different word (someone who hates spending money). Not a maths word.

## In Jewish tradition

In Sefer Yetzirah misery is the opposite of happiness, meant for the wicked.

**Interpretation.** The book teaches that good people are rewarded and the wicked punished, as other Jewish tradition does.

### Examples

- Misery, or an evil end, or simply evil, ROH. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/misery/#x1)
- Happiness is reserved for the just, and misery for the wicked ones. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1887) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/misery/#x2)
- Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more. (Writings PRO.31.7, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/misery/#x3)
- For thou shalt forget thy misery; thou shalt remember it as waters that are passed away; (Writings JOB.11.16, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/misery/#x4)
- Wherewith is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul — (Writings JOB.3.20, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/misery/#x5)

### Note

Mostly uncountable, but «miseries» is used for different troubles. Adjective: miserable. Pronounced «MIZ-er-ee». Spelling: miser + y. A «miser» is a different word (someone who hates spending money). Not a maths word.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «misery» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misery/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«misery» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/misery.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «misery» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/misery/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«misery» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/misery.html) on Mova free.