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

Gunna’s armour had visibly endured a few battles, with his distressed clothing symbolizing his past, as his attire represented his ability to stay solid and remain intact through it all. —Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 22 Dec. 2025

Live kickoff concert, where Bad Bunny paired the distressed skinnies with a Ricky Martin T-shirt, oversized headphones and black sunglasses. —Andre Claudio, Sourcing Journal, 22 Dec. 2025

Meanwhile, Julia Roberts appeared on the Kelly Clarkson Show in dark wash flares with patch pockets, and Jennifer Lopez gave the trend a boho twist in a distressed pair. —Michelle Rostamian, PEOPLE, 21 Dec. 2025

Ariana, for one, is distressed about her family getting a brand new cat. —Christian Allaire, Vogue, 21 Dec. 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