make someone's life a misery
English Meaning & Definitions
To cause someone to suffer persistent unhappiness, distress, or extreme annoyance through one's actions or behavior.
- “The constant bullying at school made the poor boy's life a misery.”
- “Her demanding boss seems determined to make her life a misery with impossible deadlines.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “make someone's life a misery”.
The phrase combines the Middle English 'make' (to construct or cause) with 'misery,' derived from the Old French 'misérie' and Latin 'miseria' (wretchedness). It evolved as a common idiomatic expression in the 19th century to describe the act of causing persistent, intense unhappiness or distress to another person, often through harassment or neglect.
Imagine a 'misery' cloud following someone around; if you are the one holding the string to that cloud, you are making their life a misery.
Frequently Asked Questions About “make someone's life a misery”
1. What is the meaning of “make someone's life a misery” in English?
In English, make someone's life a misery (idiom) is defined as: “To cause someone to suffer persistent unhappiness, distress, or extreme annoyance through one's actions or behavior.”.
2. How do you use “make someone's life a misery” in a sentence?
“The constant bullying at school made the poor boy's life a misery.”
3. What are English synonyms of “make someone's life a misery”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “make someone's life a misery”?
The phrase combines the Middle English 'make' (to construct or cause) with 'misery,' derived from the Old French 'misérie' and Latin 'miseria' (wretchedness). It evolved as a common idiomatic expression in the 19th century to describe the act of causing persistent, intense unhappiness or distress to another person, often through harassment or neglect.
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