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

Some distressed children have also attempted suicide, said Mickey Donovan-Kaloust, legal services director at the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, which has offices across Southern California. — CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026

The credit markets have started to price its debt in distressed territory and that's transferred over to a big pullback in its equity. — Paul Meeks, CNBC, 2 Nov. 2026

A couple of passing witches in distressed fish-nets aww-ed at the sight of the dog begging for the second half of his cone. — Téa Obreht, New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2026

The Nobody Wants This star wore an oversized black blazer over a loose white crewneck T-shirt, tucked into wide-leg, distressed jeans for a polished, everyday style. — Shea Simmons, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 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