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

More than 3,000 have been evacuated from areas threatened by the lava flows and photos show distressed locals fleeing barefoot and covered in mud and ash. — Ciara Nugent, Time, "At Least 62 People Have Died in Guatemala's Fuego Volcano Eruption. Here's What to Know," 4 June 2018 Zach’s summer of love was a secret kept from everyone, and no one is as distressed about learning the truth as Clay is. — refinery29.com, "R29 Binge Club: 13 Reasons Why, Season 2," 18 May 2018 The program works by giving wealthy investors an incentive to target distressed areas. — Patrick Sisson, Curbed, "A new tool for steering investment into overlooked urban and rural areas begins to take shape," 12 Apr. 2018 On the front, however, where sequins were not placed, the distressed bottoms seemed ripped so heavily that her entire thigh was visible through the threads. — Avery Matera, Teen Vogue, "Bella Thorne Wears Fuzzy Slippers and Socks in Los Angeles," 13 July 2018 Lilis bought a financially distressed Permian operator, Brushy Resources, and moved into its San Antonio headquarters. — Jordan Blum, San Antonio Express-News, "Lilis may be an acquisition target," 13 July 2018 But in a clip posted on KTVU -TV of Oakland, a distressed Berlin can be seen speeding in a 35-mph zone. — Fox News, "Northern California arson suspect livestreamed police chase," 10 July 2018 The California suit argues that Navient improperly steered financially distressed borrowers — such as single moms and new graduates — into forbearance, costing them thousands of dollars. — NBC News, "DeVos agenda on higher education is a new front for Democratic resistance," 3 July 2018 Rick Alan Ross first came to know Raniere all the way back in 2002, when a pair of concerned parents came to him distressed over the fact that their children — two daughters, a son, and a son-in-law — were deeply wrapped up in ESP. — Amelia Harnish, refinery29.com, ""At This Point We Are In Despair": One Woman's Quest To Bring Her Brother Home From NXIVM," 29 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

10 Sep 2018

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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

: 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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