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• Misery loves company
  Misery loves company

  People who are unhappy may get some consolation from knowing that others are unhappy too.
• misery loves company
  misery loves company

  Fellow sufferers make unhappiness easier to bear, as in She secretly hoped her friend would fail, too—misery loves company. Words to this effect appeared in the work of Sophocles (c. 408 b.c.) and other ancient writers; the earliest recorded use in English was about 1349.

Misery loves company

Cultural  

1. People who are unhappy may get some consolation from knowing that others are unhappy too.

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misery loves company Idioms  

1. Fellow sufferers make unhappiness easier to bear, as in She secretly hoped her friend would fail, too—misery loves company. Words to this effect appeared in the work of Sophocles (c. 408 b.c.) and other ancient writers; the earliest recorded use in English was about 1349.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Misery loves company misery loves company

Misery loves company, so enjoy the global pity party that’s developing over governments’ fiscal distress.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

Misery loves company, and the Lakers are hardly alone in falling short of expectations during this shortened and condensed 72-game season.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 4, 2021

Misery loves company, but I thought Jonathan and I had more going for us than that.

From Salon ● May 18, 2019

Misery loves company and as the meanest, nastiest, most heartless ricochets in sports prove, you'll never walk alone.

From Golf Digest ● Jan. 7, 2019

Misery loves company, I think, but then again, so does hope.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

Whether it’s the idea that misery loves company or that everyone endures and overcomes some sort of hardship, a glimmer of hope exists in a future that is unwritten.

From Salon ● Dec. 31, 2025

For now, it’s just a comfort to know that there are others with me too, because misery loves company.

From The Verge ● Aug. 5, 2022

As they say, misery loves company - he is trying to suckers others in on this scam.

From New York Times ● Jan. 9, 2018

And as the old saying goes, misery loves company.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 28, 2014

Anyway I figured Leah and I could tell each other our troubles, since misery loves company, even though she has a husband that is still alive at least, which is more than I can say.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver