distress

[ dih-stres ]

/ dɪˈstrɛs /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR distress ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

great pain, anxiety, or sorrow; acute physical or mental suffering; affliction; trouble.

a state of extreme necessity or misfortune.

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

that which causes pain, suffering, trouble, danger, etc.

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.

to dent, scratch, or stain (furniture, lumber, or the like) so as to give an appearance of age.

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.

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: His suffering distressed him into committing suicide.

Origin of distress

1250–1300; (noun) Middle English destresse < Anglo-French distresse, destresse, Old French < Vulgar Latin *districtia, equivalent to Latin district(us) (see district) + -ia -y³; (v.) Middle English destressen < Anglo-French destresser (Old French destrecier), derivative of the noun

SYNONYMS FOR distress

1 agony, anguish, adversity, tribulation. See sorrow.

2 need, destitution.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR distress ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR distress

1 comfort.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR distress ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM distress

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

Words nearby distress

distrainee, distraint, distrait, distraite, distraught, distress, distress call, distress flag, distress frequency, distress gun, distress merchandise

Example sentences from the Web for distress

I inherited the Arnold Family Thunder ThighsTM, which was a source of frequent teasing and distress for me as a child.

You’re Never ‘Cured’ of an Eating Disorder |Carrie Arnold |December 20, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Not only, in the rarest of cases, where there a female lead in a blockbuster action movie, but the damsel in distress was a dude.

Team Peeta or Team Gale: Why the ‘Hunger Games’ Love Triangle Ruins ‘Mockingjay – Part 1’ |Kevin Fallon |November 28, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Is it that the communication of joy has no survival value for us, while the communication of distress has?

Knocking on Heaven's Door: True Stories of Unexplained, Uncanny Experiences at the Hour of Death |Patricia Pearson |August 11, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Watching the game, I realized that I was in distress and asked for help.

The Warlord Who Defines Afghanistan: An Excerpt From Bruce Riedel’s ’What We Won’ |Bruce Riedel |July 27, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

Ramis and Aykroyd want it both ways: an empowered heroine, and the standard damsel in distress.

The Scathing Sexual Politics of ‘Ghostbusters’ |Andy Hoglund |June 7, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
It was only from her suitor that I heard at last of her distress.

Her Mother's Secret |Emma D. E. N. Southworth
He could not help, and it would only distress you to feel that he was upset.

About Peggy Saville |Mrs. G. de Horne Vaizey
The distress in Joan's face was like that which one sees in the face of a dumb animal that has received a mortal hurt.

Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc |Mark Twain
Before his distress we should be most sympathetic, offering every aid.

Once Aboard The Lugger |Arthur Stuart-Menteth Hutchinson
Night came at last, and through the darkness they heard cries as of people in distress.

Smith and the Pharaohs, and Other Tales |Henry Rider Haggard

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, adjective distressfully, adverb distressfulness, noun distressing, 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

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.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

distress

noun

adjective

verb (used with object)

Origin of distress

SYNONYMS FOR distress

ANTONYMS FOR distress

OTHER WORDS FROM distress

Words nearby distress

Example sentences from the Web for distress

British Dictionary definitions for distress

verb (tr)

noun

Derived forms of distress

Word Origin for distress

Medical definitions for distress

n.

Other words from distress

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

distress

noun

adjective

verb (used with object)

Origin of distress

SYNONYMS FOR distress

ANTONYMS FOR distress

OTHER WORDS FROM distress

Words nearby distress

Words related to distress

Example sentences from the Web for distress

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for distress

verb (tr)

noun

Derived forms of distress

Word Origin for distress

Medical definitions for distress

n.

Other words from distress

British Dictionary definitions for distress