distressed

adjective

dis·tressed | \ di-ˈstrest

Definition of distressed

: 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

One of my favorite outfits of hers is this distressed cropped denim jacket with a sweetheart-neckline minidress. — Marina Liao, Marie Claire, "These Coachella Outfit Ideas Are So Good, You'll Be Watching the Likes Roll In," 7 Mar. 2019 Sears CEO Eddie Lampert is looking to sell the distressed retailer's Kenmore appliance brand and real estate. — Charisse Jones, USA TODAY, "Can't choose between Sears and Kmart? Now can get two-in-one," 19 June 2018 While the shabby chic look was more feminine than modern farmhouse, the two share several traits, including distressed woods, a whitewashed palette, and vintage everything. — Laura Fenton, Curbed, "How the ‘modern farmhouse’ look took over," 21 Nov. 2018 To let the the footwear stand out, Hadid wore a relatively simple summer look that included a T-shirt turned tank top, thanks to its scrunched sleeves, a pair of distressed shorts, and a cross-body bag. — Liana Satenstein, Vogue, "Gigi Hadid Steps Out In a Surprising New Sneaker," 26 June 2018 Paired with booties and a breezy tank, these distressed shorts are white hot for tinkering around Tennessee. — Amelia Mularz, Harper's BAZAAR, "Planning the Great American Road Trip," 15 June 2015 This spring, designers showcased new and exciting ways to wear denim whether embellished, distressed, or dyed. — Rajni Lucienne Jacques, Teen Vogue, "7 Spring 2019 Trends You'll See Everywhere Next Season," 20 Oct. 2018 Hadid was out and about in Paris rocking a Chinese inspired Vivienne Westwood blouse from the Spring/Summer 2019 collection, and Lori Harvey was denim goals rocking distressed jeans with an exaggerated cuff. — Teen Vogue, "Normani Opened for Ariana Grande In a Bedazzled Catsuit That Would Make Beyoncé Proud," 25 Mar. 2019 The firm is also known for making significant private equity style investments and sinking money into more esoteric investment strategies and assets, like distressed sovereign debt, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, and art. — Matthew Goldstein, New York Times, "A Secretive Investor in Triple Crown Contender Justify: George Soros," 7 June 2018

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

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Last Updated

21 May 2019

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Time Traveler for distressed

The first known use of distressed was in 1613

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More Definitions for distressed

distressed

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of distressed

: feeling or showing extreme unhappiness or pain

somewhat formal : not having enough money : experiencing financial trouble

—used to describe something (such as a piece of clothing or furniture) that has been made to look old or to look like something that has been used a lot

See the full definition for distressed in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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