in distress
idiom
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
Surveillance footage showed Heinz leaving the bar alone and not appearing to be in distress, according to authorities.
—
Drake Bentley, jsonline.com, 9 Dec. 2025
In the Terminator films, Hamilton played heroine Sarah Connor, a damsel in distress who becomes a hard-ass warrior.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2025
The protesters, in distress, can be heard calling for help.
—Gianluca Mezzofiore, CNN Money, 21 Nov. 2025
Some expensive things were made in distress, anger, resentment, insecurity etc.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in distress
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Drake Bentley, jsonline.com, 9 Dec. 2025
In the Terminator films, Hamilton played heroine Sarah Connor, a damsel in distress who becomes a hard-ass warrior.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2025
The protesters, in distress, can be heard calling for help.
—Gianluca Mezzofiore, CNN Money, 21 Nov. 2025
Some expensive things were made in distress, anger, resentment, insecurity etc.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in distress
Cite this Entry
“In distress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20distress. Accessed 19 Dec. 2025.
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