distraught
Americanadjective
-
distracted; deeply agitated.
-
mentally deranged; crazed.
adjective
-
distracted or agitated
-
rare mad
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of distraught
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English variant of obsolete distract “distracted,” by association with straught, old past participle of stretch; see distract
Explanation
If you are upset, you are distraught. If you don't want to explain why you are pulling your hair out, just utter "Leave me alone; I'm distraught." It'll work. While distraught may sound like an old Germanic past participle, it is actually an alteration of distract from the Latin distrahere "to draw in different directions." If you are distraught, you are so upset that it's hard to think straight, hence your mind is "drawn in different directions."
Vocabulary lists containing distraught
The Great Gatsby
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In the Mood? 100 Words to Describe Emotions
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "D"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He told the court his mother saw he was "distraught" and called the school.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
She was told two weeks ago she would be one of the workers facing a pay cut under the new system, leaving her "distraught".
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
His sister wrote to me, understandably distraught as to what to do next.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026
Cutler’s mother had just died and he was distraught.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
If only Julius had not been too distraught to look at the ground for signs of footmarks, he might have found his charge quite quickly, and put his own agony to an end.
From "Tiger, Tiger" by Lynne Reid Banks
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
