distress signal
Americannoun
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a signal used, or designed to be used, by persons in peril, for the purpose of summoning aid, indicating their position, etc., as a radio code sign, aerial flare, flag hoist, or the like.
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an indication, especially a nonverbal one, that assistance, cooperation, or the like, is needed.
He correctly interpreted the host's upturned eyes as a distress signal and hastily changed the subject.
noun
Etymology
Origin of distress signal
First recorded in 1870–75
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.
Weir and a small crew are sent on a recovery mission after the lost spaceship, the Event Horizon, suddenly reappears in orbit around Neptune, issuing a distress signal.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
The increase represents yet another distress signal coming from within the housing market.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 10, 2026
"For too long, the world has been caught in a cycle of negotiations, while the planet's distress signal grows louder. While dialogue is important, action is imperative," he wrote.
From BBC ● Nov. 20, 2025
"The Colombian boat was adrift and had its distress signal on," Petro said, referring to the strike that killed Carranza.
From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2025
She needed help...some kind of distress signal to Coach Hedge, or even better—Percy.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
Definitions 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.
