distress

1 of 3

noun

dis·​tress di-ˈstres 

plural distresses

1

law

a

: seizure and detention of the goods of another as pledge (see pledge entry 1 sense 1) or to obtain satisfaction of a claim by the sale of the goods seized

b

: something that is distrained

2

a

: pain or suffering affecting the body, a bodily part, or the mind : trouble

gastric distress

The patient showed no obvious signs of distress.

severe emotional distress

voiced their distress over the delays

b

: a painful situation : misfortune

3

: a state of danger or desperate need

a ship in distress

distress

2 of 3

verb

distressed; distressing; distresses

transitive verb

1

: to subject to great strain or difficulties

homes distressed by poverty

2

archaic : to force or overcome by inflicting pain

3

: to cause to worry or be troubled : upset

don't let the news distress you

4

: to mar (something, such as clothing or wood) deliberately to give an effect of age

a distressed table

distressed jeans

distressingly

di-ˈstre-siŋ-lē 

adverb

distress

3 of 3

adjective

1

: offered for sale at a loss

distress merchandise

2

: involving distress goods

a distress sale

Synonyms

Noun

• agony
• anguish
• pain
• misery
• discomfort
• torment

Verb

• alarm
• concern
• worry
• disturb
• bother
• distract
• anger
• discomfort
• plague
• upset

Choose the Right Synonym for distress

distress, suffering, misery, agony mean the state of being in great trouble.

distress implies an external and usually temporary cause of great physical or mental strain and stress.

the hurricane put everyone in great distress

suffering implies conscious endurance of pain or distress.

the suffering of famine victims

misery stresses the unhappiness attending especially sickness, poverty, or loss.

some people live in misery every day

agony suggests pain too intense to be borne.

in agony over the death of their child

Examples of distress in a Sentence

Noun

Citizens voiced their distress over delays in fixing the problem.

The patient showed no obvious signs of distress.

He suffered severe emotional distress as a result of the accident.

Verb

don't let all the bad news distress you

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The Oscar-winning actress stars as Grace, a mother living in Montana who begins to show signs of postpartum psychosis, her mental distress unraveling her relationship with Jackson (Robert Pattinson). —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2025

The tort of battery, meaning unlawful and harmful physical contact, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, which refers to using extreme conduct to terrorize another, are potential claims. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 6 Oct. 2025

Verb

Those in search of other vintage pieces will find cargo vests, plaid flannel shirts, distressed T-shirts and utility pants, among other styles, starting Thursday. —Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2025

His heart was racing, his breathing distressed. —Paul Sisson, Mercury News, 8 Sep. 2025

Adjective

But the policy itself, which requires all patients who test positive to be isolated, including young children and babies, has caused significant levels distress among parents. —Simone McCarthy and Yong Xiong, CNN, 4 Apr. 2022

The attractiveness of investing in both public and private post-distress equities in this part of the cycle will likely remain very interesting for the medium-term. —George Schultze, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Noun, Verb, and Adjective

Middle English destresse, from Anglo-French destresce, from Vulgar Latin *districtia, from Latin districtus, past participle of distringere — see distrain

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1926, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing distress

• acute respiratory distress syndrome
• adult respiratory distress syndrome
• distress signal
• distress signal/call
• in distress
• respiratory distress syndrome

Rhymes for distress

• abbess
• abscess
• access
• address
• assess
• caress
• confess
• depress
• digress
• egress
• excess
• express

Kids Definition

distress

1 of 2 noun

dis·​tress dis-ˈtres 

1

: great suffering of body or mind : pain, anguish

2

: a painful situation : misfortune

3

: a condition of danger or desperate need

a ship in distress

distress

2 of 2 verb

1

: to cause to experience painful difficulties

2

: to cause to worry or be troubled : upset

distressingly

-iŋ-lē 

adverb

Medical Definition

distress

noun

dis·​tress dis-ˈtres 

: pain or suffering affecting the body, a bodily part, or the mind

gastric distress

respiratory distress

Legal Definition

distress

noun

dis·​tress

1

: seizure and detention of the goods of another as pledge or to obtain satisfaction of a claim by the sale of the goods seized

specifically : seizure by a landlord of a tenant's property to obtain satisfaction of arrearages in rent

Note: Distress is regulated by statute where available. It has been held unconstitutional by some courts.

2

: pain or suffering affecting the body, a bodily part, or the mind see also emotional distress

Etymology

Noun

Anglo-French destrece, literally, tightness, anguish, deprivation, from Old French, ultimately from Late Latin districtus severe, from past participle of distringere to hinder, punish see distrain