in distress
idiom
1
: very upset
He was clearly in distress upon hearing the news.
2
: in a very difficult situation in which one does not have enough money, food, etc.
She's chosen to devote her life to helping those in distress.
3
of a boat, airplane, etc.
: in a state of danger or desperate need
The ship was in distress.
Examples of in distress in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
According to McCarron, video of the incident reveals that an on-duty lifeguard was looking at his phone during much of that time and didn’t appear to notice that Janvier was in distress.
—
Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 9 May 2024
Anyone who sees a pelican in distress should contact the group for help.
—Brooke Baitinger, Sacramento Bee, 9 May 2024
The Orange County Government noted that a garage security guard noticed the pups in distress and called for help.
—Chris Barilla, Peoplemag, 9 May 2024
The child was not in distress and was medically cleared by Fire Department personnel at the scene as a precaution, according to authorities.
—Jon Haworth, ABC News, 8 May 2024
But Torres noted that Texas officials provide medical aid to migrants who sustain injuries or who are otherwise in distress.
—Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 7 May 2024
Deputies were dispatched to Mountain View Point on a report of a swimmer in distress around 1:51 p.m. local time.
—Brian Brant, Peoplemag, 23 Apr. 2024
Hospital emergency room staff suspected a newborn infant may be in distress because a Falmouth woman, now known as Kimberly, came to the hospital complaining of suffering from a miscarriage, the release states.
—Jennifer Edwards Baker, The Enquirer, 17 Apr. 2024
The threshold for intervention should be relatively low so that a threat assessment team can identify students in distress before their behavior escalates, according to the report.
—Yana Kunichoff, The Arizona Republic, 17 Apr. 2024
Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 9 May 2024
Anyone who sees a pelican in distress should contact the group for help.
—Brooke Baitinger, Sacramento Bee, 9 May 2024
The Orange County Government noted that a garage security guard noticed the pups in distress and called for help.
—Chris Barilla, Peoplemag, 9 May 2024
The child was not in distress and was medically cleared by Fire Department personnel at the scene as a precaution, according to authorities.
—Jon Haworth, ABC News, 8 May 2024
But Torres noted that Texas officials provide medical aid to migrants who sustain injuries or who are otherwise in distress.
—Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 7 May 2024
Deputies were dispatched to Mountain View Point on a report of a swimmer in distress around 1:51 p.m. local time.
—Brian Brant, Peoplemag, 23 Apr. 2024
Hospital emergency room staff suspected a newborn infant may be in distress because a Falmouth woman, now known as Kimberly, came to the hospital complaining of suffering from a miscarriage, the release states.
—Jennifer Edwards Baker, The Enquirer, 17 Apr. 2024
The threshold for intervention should be relatively low so that a threat assessment team can identify students in distress before their behavior escalates, according to the report.
—Yana Kunichoff, The Arizona Republic, 17 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'in distress.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near in distress
Cite this Entry
“In distress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20distress. Accessed 17 May. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share