Put someone out of their misery
Meaning
To end someone's suffering, typically by providing a swift resolution to a painful or difficult situation.
Origin
The phrase originates from the stark, empathetic practice of ending an animal's life when it was hopelessly injured or suffering unbearable pain. Faced with a creature in prolonged agony, a merciful farmer or veterinarian would perform a swift, decisive act to provide release, quite literally 'putting it out of its misery.' This literal act of humane termination, driven by compassion rather than cruelty, soon extended its metaphorical reach into human dilemmas. It came to signify any decisive action taken to relieve deep, intractable distress or a difficult, protracted situation, often when hope for a natural resolution had faded, reflecting the same intent to provide swift, merciful relief.
Examples
- The doctor made the difficult decision to put the terminally ill patient out of their misery, easing their prolonged pain.
- After weeks of agonizing over the broken printer, John finally just bought a new one, effectively putting himself out of his misery.