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

Did anyone else cheer at their TV screen when a distressed Paula walked up to her apartment building, only to find Rudy and Geri there offering help and apologies? — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 8 July 2026

Room 1134’s distressed leather and cast iron accents, dimmable overhead lighting, and wide plank oakwood flooring counterbalance colorfully ombre shades, brocade throws, and a cushy seafoam blue loveseat at the foot of the (very plush) bed. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 July 2026

Rhinestones were applied to skinny jeans, distressed jeans with moto details and carpenter shorts. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 8 July 2026

The aircraft can rapidly search large areas for distressed vessels before deploying emergency survival kits when needed. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 8 July 2026

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