different between affliction vs misery

English

Etymology

From Middle English affliction, affliccioun, from Old French afliction, from Latin afflictio, from affligere. See afflict.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??fl?k??n/
• Hyphenation: af?flic?tion

Noun

affliction (countable and uncountable, plural afflictions)

1. A state of pain, suffering, distress or agony.
2. Something which causes pain, suffering, distress or agony.
   • 1913, Willa Cather, O Pioneers!:

     She wore a man's long ulster (not as if it were an affliction, but as if it were very comfortable and belonged to her; carried it like a young soldier) [...]

Translations

French

Etymology

From Old French afliction, from Latin afflictio, from affligere.

Pronunciation

Noun

affliction f (plural afflictions)

1. (countable and uncountable) affliction

Further reading

• “affliction” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French miserie (modern: misère), from Latin miseria, from miser. Doublet of misère.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?m?z(?)??/
• (General American) enPR: m?z??-r?, m?z?r?, IPA^(key): /?m?z(?)?i/
• Hyphenation: mis?ery

Noun

misery (countable and uncountable, plural miseries)

1. Great unhappiness; extreme pain of body or mind; wretchedness; distress; woe.
2. (US and Britain, dialects) A bodily ache or pain.
   • 1868, John Vestal Hadley, Seven Months a Prisoner, page 15:

     [...] and I had a misery in my left breast and shoulder. I was hurt, but knew not how or how much.

3. Cause of misery; calamity; misfortune.
4. (Extreme) poverty.
5. (archaic) greed; avarice.

Synonyms

• see Thesaurus:greed

Derived terms

• put out of one's misery

Related terms

• commiserate
• miser
• miserable

Translations

Anagrams

• Myries