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

Rather than intervene on the distressed woman’s behalf, everyone else avoids eye contact, keeping their faces glued to their phones — including our ashamed hero, who’s about to get a call that will put him face to face with the possibility of fatherhood himself. —Alison Willmore, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026

On Thanksgiving 2022, as the family was enjoying their holiday feast, Matthew noticed that Harold all of a sudden looked distressed. —Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026

Performance Rug Messes are inevitable — that’s why this traditional rug with a distressed pattern is ideal for busy homes with kids and pets. —Jacquelyn McGilvray, PEOPLE, 5 Apr. 2026

In new photos posted on Saturday, the Euphoria actress freed the nipple while pairing a lace blush pink crop top with distressed denim and peekaboo underwear. —Lara Walsh, InStyle, 4 Apr. 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