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

In the earlier years of the recovery, Blackstone also invested in distressed properties, like the Cosmopolitan hotel and casino in Las Vegas. — Peter Grant, WSJ, "Blackstone Aims to Throw Weight Around With a Record Real Estate Fund," 15 Jan. 2019 Some investors in distressed properties find partners with expertise. — Paul Sullivan, New York Times, "Four Tips on How to Rescue a Bankrupt Business," 22 June 2018 Aliquippa's finances have been under scrutiny since the city became a distressed community under the state's Act 47 program in 1987. — CBS News, "Who killer teacher in her mom's driveway? A timeline of events," 18 May 2018 Two years later, a think-tank study named Compton the most financially distressed city in the state. — Angel Jennings, latimes.com, "Compton mismanaged, overspent taxpayer funds, state audit finds," 16 Mar. 2018 The former took a cool tack in a plaid version, while Hadid offset her logomania jacket and top with distressed blue jeans. — Edward Barsamian, Vogue, "Bella, Kate, Kendall, and More of the Best Celebrity Street Style at Paris Fashion Week," 3 Oct. 2018 The partially constructed, 27-story shell loomed over Wacker Drive for years before Related Midwest eventually bought the distressed property and completed it as a 60-story apartment tower called OneEleven. — Ryan Ori, chicagotribune.com, "Will Tribune Tower redevelopment hit deadlines?," 17 Apr. 2018 Bonds are generally considered distressed when their yields are more than 10 percentage points above those of comparable U.S. Treasurys. — Saumya Vaishampayan, WSJ, "Distress Signal: Risky Chinese Bonds Leave Investors Underwater," 29 Nov. 2018 Fabric is soaked, burned, and otherwise distressed to make the clothes appear lived-in and humble. — Jason Horowitz, Vogue, "Meet the Adorable Italian Stars in HBO’s Elena Ferrante Adaptation, My Brilliant Friend," 14 Aug. 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

29 Jan 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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