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

Details remain scarce, but Crown Center could see redevelopment if plans move forward to bring a new Royals stadium into an area that was itself built to renew a distressed neighborhood. —Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026

Howard Marks warned that investors hunting for bargains may be disappointed, saying markets are still far from distressed levels despite bouts of volatility. —Yun Li, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026

The goal was to stimulate economic development and job creation in distressed areas around the country by providing tax incentives to investors who would back the projects. —David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2026

Rodriguez then cleaned up the classroom and escorted the other distressed boy who was covering his ears and head out of the classroom. —Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 18 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