distressed

adjective

dis·​tressed di-ˈstrest 

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

federal grants for distressed cities

Examples of distressed in a Sentence

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

But real estate insiders say the corporation also assumes risk by taking on a distressed asset. — Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 19 July 2026

Namdar’s business model is buying distressed malls at bargain prices. — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2026

Anything Faux Distressed Farmhouse chic is falling out of style—and the distressed look is going with it. — Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 16 July 2026

For our interview, Mulchandani wore a distressed Balenciaga T-shirt, and Pissenem sat in his G-Wagon. — Max Marshall, Vanity Fair, 15 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for distressed

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