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

The wrought iron table, loveseat, and chairs have charming scrollwork details, subtle floral motifs, and a distressed finish. —Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2026

Harvey Acting Mayor Shirley Drewenski presided over her first regular City Council meeting Monday, and faced the same criticisms as her predecessor about a lack of transparency regarding Harvey’s distressed finances. —Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026

Other distressed hotels in the Denver area include a Holiday Inn Express in Wheat Ridge, which is scheduled for a foreclosure auction on Thursday. —Thomas Gounley, Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2026

The two-bedroom’s open-layout great room includes distressed oak floors, board-and-batten wall treatments, two Caesarstone waterfall islands, roofline windows, and a walk-in pantry behind sliding steel doors. —The Week Us, TheWeek, 9 Mar. 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