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.

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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 distressingly

The ultimate result would be a more dangerous Brooklyn, most distressingly for kids such as Sarah and Mary.

Synagogue Slay: When Cops Have to Kill |Michael Daly |December 10, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Distressingly, this framing of the debate limits so many options.

Paul Krugman’s Dismissal of Structural Causes for U.S. Employment Problem Is Misguided |Zachary Karabell |May 14, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
Another month, another sign that the job market remains unchangingly, distressingly stuck.

Fixing the Job Market |Zachary Karabell |September 2, 2011 |DAILY BEAST
In a city as large as New York, flawed witnesses are distressingly familiar.

The DSK Rush to Judgment |Gerald L. Shargel |July 1, 2011 |DAILY BEAST

Mr. Sperry was amused by the article, but distressingly perplexed by apprehensions concerning it.

Recollections of a Varied Life |George Cary Eggleston
But to turn about and look at the stage is even worse, so distressingly complete is the betrayal of its shabby deceptions.

A Pasteboard Crown |Clara Morris
For some women are distressingly sensitive about these little matters.

The Girl of the Period and Other Social Essays, Vol. I (of 2) |Eliza Lynn Linton
The field hospital is apt to be a distressingly plain structure of unpainted boards with sandbags banked against it.

The Glory of The Coming |Irvin S. Cobb
Two lords—one very young, the other distressingly old—have also solicited her hand in the "mazy dance."

Molly Bawn |Margaret Wolfe Hamilton

British Dictionary definitions for distressingly

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 distressingly

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 distressingly

British Dictionary definitions for distressingly

verb (tr)

noun

Derived forms of distress

Word Origin for distress

Medical definitions for distressingly

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 distressingly

Example sentences from the Web for distressingly

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

verb (tr)

noun

Derived forms of distress

Word Origin for distress

Medical definitions for distressingly

n.

Other words from distress

British Dictionary definitions for distressingly