misery loves company

Idioms & Phrases

misery loves company

Fellow sufferers make unhappiness easier to bear, as in She secretly hoped her friend would fail, toomisery 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.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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