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distress

[ dih-stres ]
/ dɪˈstrɛs /
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See synonyms for: distress / distressed / distresses / distressing on Thesaurus.com

noun
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)
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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. 2023

How to use distress in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for distress

distress
/ (dɪˈstrɛs) /

verb (tr)
noun

Derived forms of distress

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
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