distressed

1 of 2

adjective

dis·​tressed di-ˈstrest 

: of, relating to, or experiencing economic decline or difficulty

federal grants for distressed cities

distressed

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of distress entry 2

Examples of distressed in a Sentence

Adjective

She felt emotionally and physically distressed.

The government provided funds to the economically distressed city.

Donations were given to financially distressed families.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The distressed creak of nylon straps as the second coffin was lowered into the grave brought me back to the now. — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026

Carlos gets the signature Luar treatment, with his custom design featuring a logo tank, distressed denim jeans, Adrian Oxford loafers and a Cam messenger bag. — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2026

Lauren even brought out a youthful side to his modern romance story, pairing slim-fitting jackets with low-slung pants and distressed denim. — ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026

Locally, Trigild has been brought in on a distressed Hyatt in Broomfield, the Industry Denver building in RiNo and a distressed office building in Greenwood Village. — Thomas Gounley, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1613, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for distressed

• acquiesced
• coalesced
• dispossessed
• manifest
• overdressed
• overstressed
• prepossessed
• reassessed
• reinvest
• repossessed
• unaddressed
• uncompressed