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Misery

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misery¹

  • /ˈmɪz(ə)ɹɪ/ UK
  • /ˈmɪz(ə)ɹi/ US

Where it comes from

From Middle English miserie, from Old French miserie (modern: misère), from Latin miseria, from miser, equivalent to miser + -y. Doublet of misère and mizeria.

noun miseries

  1. countable, uncountable Great unhappiness; extreme pain of body or mind; wretchedness; distress; woe. Ever since his wife left him you can see the misery on his face.
  2. UK, US, countable, dialectal, uncountable A bodily ache or pain. [...] and I had a misery in my left breast and shoulder. I was hurt, but knew not how or how much.
  3. countable, uncountable Cause of misery; calamity; misfortune.
  4. countable, uncountable poverty. The Widdow that hath but a pan of braſſe, […] Muſt pay her Landlord many a groat, Or twil be puld out of her throat: […] The rich haue all, the poore liue in miſerie: […]
  5. archaic, countable, uncountable greed; avarice.

Misery²

Where it comes from

Blend of Missouri + misery.

proper noun

  1. derogatory, humorous, slang Derogatory name for Missouri: a state of the United States. First, the young lady whom you spoke as becoming [a] mistress of the establishment would most likely (if she could become as such) be brought into a state of misery, instead of being brought from the state of misery, (or Missouri), [...]

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