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

This spacious rectangle rug is inspired by Turkish patterns and blends a distressed vintage look with durability for areas with high foot traffic, like dining rooms and living rooms. —Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Aug. 2025

Medium gray with a distressed effect: ideal for casual outfits with a touch of rebellion. —René Chávez Esparza, Glamour, 16 Aug. 2025

That conversation lit a fire in me to start piecing together this distressed property’s future in order to bring it back to life. —Jerry Mickelson, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025

Still, the Warren Police Department trains extensively on best practices in handling mentally distressed persons and will continue doing so. —Christina Hall, Freep.com, 14 Aug. 2025

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