distraught

adjective

dis·​traught di-ˈstrȯt 

1

: agitated with doubt or mental conflict or pain

distraught mourners

2

: exhibiting a severely disordered state of mind : not mentally sound

as if thou wert distraught and mad with terror

—William Shakespeare

distraughtly adverb

Synonyms

• agitated
• delirious
• distracted
• distrait
• frantic
• frenzied
• hysterical
• hysteric

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

Allison was distraught, crying for three days and begging the editors to take it down. —Taylor Lorenz, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2023

At one point, after a family intervention over Hunter’s drug use, a distraught Mr. Biden approached his son in the driveway of Mr. Biden’s home in Delaware. —Katie Rogers, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2023

Chiswell was so distraught that her husband researched other homes Monroe had lived in and happened upon the Runyon Canyon mansion, which was listed for sale and had an open house the next day. —Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2023

In the movie, the distraught and inebriated Annette gets gang-raped by Tony’s friends. —Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Sep. 2023

At Motion Picture Daily critic Herb Loeb was especially distraught. —Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Sep. 2023

As Anderson pulled up, a man approached, distraught. —Lyndsay Winkley, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2023

No one seemed more distraught than La Vie En Rose actress Marion Cotillard. —Starr Bowenbank, Billboard, 7 Sep. 2023

Demeter, distraught, forbade the trees to bear fruit. —Jay Katsir, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023

See More

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, modification of Latin distractus — see distract entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

distraught

adjective

dis·​traught dis-ˈtrȯt 

1

: disturbed with doubt or painful feelings

2

: insane sense 1

distraughtly adverb