misery

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

Derogatory name for Missouri: a state of the United States.

Register: derogatory, humorous, slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

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), [...]

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “misery” mean?

Derogatory name for Missouri: a state of the United States.

Is “misery” formal or informal?

misery is generally derogatory, humorous, slang.