distraught

adjective

dis·traught | \ di-ˈstrȯt

Definition of distraught

1 : agitated with doubt or mental conflict or pain distraught mourners

2 : mentally deranged : crazed as if thou wert distraught and mad with terror— William Shakespeare

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Examples of distraught in a Sentence

Of particular concern are phony contractors, who knock on the doors of distraught homeowners and offer to repair damaged roofs or remove fallen trees. — Natalie Rodriguez, This Old House, March 2006 The night before the story broke, West sat down for a two-hour interview with the Spokane-Review and left so distraught that its editor, Steven Smith, asked the police chief to check on him. — Unmesh Kher, Time, 23 May 2005 Captured by news photographers under the direction of his manager Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis's turn in the barber's chair was a public ceremony: a symbolic shearing, not only of Elvis—who would return from the service a meek semblance of himself, a mama's boy without a mama (his distraught mother, Gladys, died while he was stationed at Fort Hood, soon to depart for Germany)—but of rock 'n' roll itself. — James Wolcott, Vanity Fair, November 2000 Distraught relatives are waiting for news of the missing children. She was distraught over the death of her partner.

Recent Examples on the Web

According to the sheriff’s office, a distraught Loza cornered his girlfriend and her friend at knifepoint just before 8 p.m. Feb. 10, 2003. — Michael Todd, The Mercury News, "16 years later, suspected Soquel killer returned to Santa Cruz," 8 June 2019 Fans were distraught when Turner appeared to tease Sansa's death on social media ahead of the show's premiere. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Joe Jonas Dressed Up as Sansa Stark to Celebrate the Return of Game of Thrones," 15 Apr. 2019 The tense opening turns even worse, as the video cuts to Danny with a clearly distraught woman. — Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, "This Dramatic 'Blue Bloods' Moment Will Change Danny Reagan's Life Forever," 15 Feb. 2019 Democrats sought to take advantage of the heartbreaking images of distraught children, sending out email petitions and, in some cases, fundraising. — Francine Kiefer, The Christian Science Monitor, "Trump flip on family separation underscores 'chaos' in immigration reform," 20 June 2018 Many seemed distraught, some on the verge of tears. — Ella Nilsen, Vox, "Kavanaugh’s confirmation battle will make the Supreme Court a pivotal issue in 2018 — and 2020.," 7 Oct. 2018 In Provincetown, police have taken 28 reports from distraught victims since 2016, almost all of whom cited Craigslist, town officials told me. — Sean P. Murphy, BostonGlobe.com, "Ripped off by phantom rentals on Craigslist," 23 June 2018 Justin Bieber was seen looking extremely distraught in the car on Thursday as his wife, Hailey Baldwin, looked on. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "Justin Bieber Seen Looking Distraught After News of Selena Gomez’s Emotional Breakdown," 12 Oct. 2018 Ramos Valencia has not been able to speak to Sanchez Gonzalez since they were separated, and their children are distraught since their father was taken away, the rights group said. — Washington Post, "Lawsuit seeks lawyer access to immigrants in prison," 24 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'distraught.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.