in distress

phrase

1

: very upset

He was clearly in distress upon hearing the news.

2

: in a very difficult situation in which one does not have enough money, food, etc.

She's chosen to devote her life to helping those in distress.

3

of a boat, airplane, etc. : in a state of danger or desperate need

The ship was in distress.

Examples of in distress in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Local maritime authorities have frequently abandoned the Rohingya at sea, often ignoring reports of boats in distress. — ABC News, 14 July 2026

Two adults and two children were in distress and riding a rubber dinghy on the river, and needed assistance from local police, according to the outlet. — Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 9 July 2026

Whether it’s induced by the unknown or past experiences, dogs may shake, tremble, bark, act out or hide when in distress. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 2 July 2026

The same scalpel or bone saw that cut a human also cleft sheep, horses, pigs and other animals in distress. — Katherine Ott, The Conversation, 2 July 2026

Rhymes for in distress

• abs
• acquiesce
• authoress
• bodiless
• coalesce
• decompress
• dispossess
• faithfulness
• letterpress
• mayoress
• murderess
• nonetheless