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
Rangers responded to the emergency call about the hiker in distress and deployed a helicopter with search and rescue personnel, the NPS said.
—
Greg Norman, Fox News, 14 May 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for in distress 
Greg Norman, Fox News, 14 May 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for in distress
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 1 Jun. 2024.
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