distressed

American  

[dih-strest] / dɪˈstrɛst /

adjective

1. showing or suffering from distress; worried or upset.

   They got a call from a distressed mother whose child had gone missing.

   We could tell from the distressed expression on his face that the news was bad.

2. characterized by poor conditions or lack of resources.

   The distressed economy has left many families struggling to make ends meet.

   More help is needed for schools in distressed neighborhoods.

3. (of merchandise or property for sale) damaged, out-of-date, or used.

   The library periodically sells off distressed books.

4. (of real estate) foreclosed and offered for sale.

   Some investors seek out distressed properties to buy at a low price and make a profit on.

5. (of furniture) purposely blemished or marred so as to give an antique appearance.

   The distressed wooden chest in the corner of the room added a touch of rustic charm.

6. (of fabric or clothing) made or processed to appear faded, wrinkled, frayed, or worn, as if from long, steady use.

   Our best-selling jeans are the ones in distressed denim.

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distressed British  

/ dɪˈstrɛst /

adjective

1. much troubled; upset; afflicted

2. in financial straits; poor

3. (of furniture, fabric, etc) having signs of ageing artificially applied

4. economics another word for depressed

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Other Word Forms

• distressedly adverb
• distressedness noun
• quasi-distressed adjective
• undistressed adjective

Etymology

Origin of distressed

First recorded in 1580–90; distress + -ed ²

Example Sentences

Briana Fair, a mental health clinician with the San Mateo Police Department, received a dozen voicemails from the same distressed caller over a single weekend this month.

From Los Angeles Times

For weeks now, angry and distressed residents in Indonesia's westernmost province have been raising white flags over the state's slow response to a series of deadly floods.

From BBC

“While there have been a select few transactions in the space, these have been concentrated on asset sales by distressed operators, and we expect the M&A backdrop to now improve,” Tyghe added.

From MarketWatch

Event security staff became aware of a disturbance in the trees and were able to intervene and lead the distressed victim away to safety.

From BBC

She said she felt upset and distressed that her employer failed to offer her support after the incident, so she used some annual leave to take time away from her job.

From BBC

Related Words

• afflicted
• agitated
• anxious
• distraught
• jittery
• miffed
• perturbed
• shaky
• troubled