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

Many survivors don’t meet criteria for PTSD but struggle with feeling distressed, depressed or anxious. — Michele Patterson Ford, The Conversation, 19 Aug. 2026

As the conversation got more intense, Affleck appeared to be visibly distressed, putting his face in his hands. — Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Aug. 2026

Raven 3's long-term target is 10,000 units, with plans to continue expanding its development pipeline and acquiring distressed properties throughout New York and New Jersey. — Nia Bowers, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026

When these holdings fell sharply, margin calls forced the fund into distressed selling. — Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 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