distress

[ dih-stres ]

/ dɪˈstrɛs /

See synonyms for: distress / distressed / distresses / distressing on Thesaurus.com

noun

great pain, anxiety, or sorrow; acute physical or mental suffering; affliction; trouble: distress over his mother's illness.

a state of extreme necessity or misfortune: After the stock market crash, he found himself in great financial distress.

the state of a ship or airplane requiring immediate assistance, as when on fire in transit.

that which causes pain, suffering, trouble, danger, etc.: His willful disobedience was a distress to his parents.

liability or exposure to pain, suffering, trouble, etc.; danger: a damsel in distress.

Law.

the legal seizure and detention of the goods of another as security or satisfaction for debt, etc.; the act of distraining.
the thing seized in distraining.

adjective

afflicted with or suffering distress: distress livestock; distress wheat.

caused by or indicative of distress or hardship: distress prices; distress borrowing.

verb (used with object)

to afflict with great pain, anxiety, or sorrow; trouble; worry; bother: It distresses Grandpa when you bring up the war.

to subject to pressure, stress, or strain; embarrass or exhaust by strain: to be distressed by excessive work.

to compel by pain or force of circumstances: Her faithlessness distressed him into ending their marriage.

to dent, scratch, or stain (furniture, lumber, or the like) so as to give an appearance of age: She used an old bicycle chain to distress the surface of the table before applying a deep stain.

SYNONYMS FOR distress

1 agony, anguish, adversity, tribulation.

2 need, destitution.

See synonyms for distress on Thesaurus.com

ANTONYMS FOR distress

1 comfort.

See antonyms for distress on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of distress

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English noun destresse, distresse, from Anglo-French distresse, destresse, Old French, from unattested Vulgar Latin districtia, equivalent to Latin district(us) “exercise of justice” + noun suffix -ia; the verb developed from the noun; see origin at district,-ia

synonym study for distress

1. See sorrow.

OTHER WORDS FROM distress

dis·tress·ing·ly, adverbpre·dis·tress, noun, verb (used with object)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for distress

It’s also easy to anthropomorphize and misinterpret actions as gestures of joy that are actually signs of distress or just indifference.
Animals play in all sorts of ways|Sara Kiley Watson|September 17, 2020|Popular Science
Covid-19—and its corollaries of uncertainty, isolation, and financial distress— is a mix of high-risk factors for developing a substance abuse disorder, or relapsing.
Substance abuse makes Covid-19 even more dangerous|Annalisa Merelli|September 16, 2020|Quartz
In response, lawmakers called a hearing two months later, during which doctors and other experts testified that children suffered emotional and mental distress during the weeks or months their release was delayed.
Still No Answers to Lawmakers’ Questions About Children Stuck in Psychiatric Hospitals|by Duaa Eldeib|September 15, 2020|ProPublica
Under the radar, a new class of dangerous debt — climate-distressed mortgage loans — might already be threatening the financial system.
Climate Change Will Force a New American Migration|by Abrahm Lustgarten, photography by Meridith Kohut|September 15, 2020|ProPublica

We became officers because we wanted to help people in distress, make a difference in our communities and simply serve and protect.
What Can Mayors Do When the Police Stop Doing Their Jobs?|by Alec MacGillis|September 3, 2020|ProPublica
The girls send a cry for help…the situation of these girls is distressing.
Jihadis Release New Year’s Eve Video of Italian Female Hostages|Jamie Dettmer, Barbie Latza Nadeau|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In one of the most distressing events of the year, nerd entitlement hit 100.
10 Things That Made Us Want to Turn Off the Internet Forever in 2014|The Daily Beast|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The health care workers, too, face “distressing” conditions.
CDC: 'Window Is Closing' on Containing Ebola|Abby Haglage|September 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The current lack of available Simpsons clips online is distressing.
A 200-Hour ‘Simpsons’ Marathon? That’s Unpossible!|Rich Goldstein|July 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
What is distressing, however, is that our political system does not work that way.
The Supreme Court Has Given Us a Government Of, By, and For the 1 Percent|Geoffrey R. Stone|June 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His throat was not distressing him, and his voice was much better and stronger than usual.
Chapters from My Autobiography|Mark Twain
Every now and then a piercing cry rose above the constant undercurrent of moans, and the sobbing was distressing in the extreme.
With Haig on the Somme|D. H. Parry
So dense was the distressing cloud that it was impossible at times to see the length of a company.
Miss Ravenel's conversion from secession to loyalty|J. W. de Forest
The most distressing thing was that we had not a riding-habit in the family.
The Short Works of George Meredith|George Meredith
It often happens in these distressing catastrophes that the one only course open is the least palatable.
Johnny Ludlow, Second Series|Mrs. Henry Wood

British Dictionary definitions for distress

distress

/ (dɪˈstrɛs) /

verb (tr)

to cause mental pain to; upset badly

(usually passive) to subject to financial or other trouble

to damage (esp furniture), as by scratching or denting it, in order to make it appear older than it is

law a less common word for distrain

archaic to compel

noun

mental pain; anguish

the act of distressing or the state of being distressed

physical or financial trouble

in distress (of a ship, aircraft, etc) in dire need of help

law

the seizure and holding of property as security for payment of or in satisfaction of a debt, claim, etc; distraint
the property thus seized
US (as modifier)distress merchandise

Derived forms of distress

distressful, adjectivedistressfully, adverbdistressfulness, noundistressing, adjective, noun

distressingly, adverb

Word Origin for distress

C13: from Old French destresse distress, via Vulgar Latin, from Latin districtus divided in mind; see distrain

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for distress

distress

[ dĭ-strĕs′ ]

n.

Mental or physical suffering or anguish.

Severe strain resulting from exhaustion or trauma.

Other words from distress

dis•tress′ adj.

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distress