putting someone out of their misery

Verb

put someone out of their misery (third-person singular simple present puts someone out of their misery, present participle putting someone out of their misery, simple past and past participle put someone out of their misery)

1. (idiomatic, informal, transitive) To submit a suffering person or an animal to euthanasia.
2. (figuratively, idiomatic, informal, transitive) To end or destroy something for the good of the individuals involved in it.
   • And with some United supporters actually pleading with referee Clattenburg to put them out of their misery, one more moment of brilliance from the magical Silva found Dzeko surging into the area to finish left-footed for his second.2011 October 23, Phil McNulty, “Man Utd 1 - 6 Man City”, in BBC Sport
3. (idiomatic, informal, transitive) To relieve somebody's anxiety by supplying information that they wanted to know.
   • Well, I'll put you out of your misery: the amount we won on the lottery was only ten dollars.

   Synonyms:

   euthanise, euthanize