distressed

adjective dis·tressed \ di-ˈstrest \

|Updated on: 16 Jul 2018

Examples: distressed in a Sentence

Definition of distressed

: of, relating to, or experiencing economic decline or difficulty

federal grants for distressed cities

See distressed defined for English-language learners

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 of distressed from the Web

The inmate, who’s name was withheld pending family notifications, was found distressed and unresponsive about 10 p.m., San Diego County sheriff’s homicide Lt.

— alex riggins, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Inmate death at Vista jail under investigation," 11 July 2018
This forced separation drastically complicates the lives of children who, having been uprooted from their homes, are already anxious and distressed.

— oscar j. benavidez, STAT, "Separating families at the border isn’t just bad policy — it’s horrible for children’s health," 19 June 2018
If a person seems genuinely delirious or distressed, reduce the stimulus in the room: Lower the lights, keep voices down.

— sallie tisdale, Good Housekeeping, "Everything to Expect, Say, and Do When a Loved One Is About to Die," 13 June 2018
The video appears to show her distressed but with no obvious injuries and still conscious.

— jennifer deaton and sara mazloumsaki, CNN, "Iran official condemns woman's treatment by 'morality police' in video," 20 Apr. 2018
The trouble came to a head last week, when Encompass Aviation, which has operated Surf Air’s planes in California since 2017, filed a lawsuit claiming that Surf Air is financially distressed and owes Encompass $3.1 million for its services.

— hugo martin, latimes.com, "Surf Air faces lawsuit, tax liens," 23 June 2018
Only then, Eppler and Scioscia said, did the Angels get their first indication Ohtani's UCL might be distressed.

— greg beacham and dave campbell, chicagotribune.com, "Angels star Shohei Ohtani out at least 3 weeks with elbow sprain," 8 June 2018
Aveo Group is distressed and disappointed at the alleged incidents concerning Mr. Macintosh.

— cleve r. wootson jr., Washington Post, "A corporate executive led a secret double life — as Australia’s ‘poo jogger’," 7 June 2018
Peters' sister, Princess Blanding, said at a news conference that her brother was clearly distressed and in need of help.

— bradford betz, Fox News, "Video of police fatal shooting of naked man raises questions, family says," 26 May 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.

First Known Use of distressed

1613

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Economics Terms

actuary, compound interest, globalization, indemnity, portfolio, rentier, stagflation, usurer

DISTRESSED Defined for English Language Learners

distressed

adjective

Definition of distressed for English Language Learners

: feeling or showing extreme unhappiness or pain
: 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