distress, suffering, misery, agony mean the state of being in great trouble. distress implies an external and usually temporary cause of great physical or mental strain and stress (the hurricane put everyone in great distress). suffering implies conscious endurance of pain or distress (the suffering of famine victims). misery stresses the unhappiness attending especially sickness, poverty, or loss (the homeless live with misery every day). agony suggests pain too intense to be borne (in agony over the death of their child).