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

After conducting mission protocols to try to regain communication with the Titan unsuccessfully, the Polar Prince alerted the Canadian Coast Guard that the Titan was in distress. —N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025

Medical staff went back and forth between members of the crowd in distress while other staffers handed out water to people on the barricade. —Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2025

First responders in Costa Rica managed to revive a second swimmer in distress on Sunday using CPR, but were unable to save the life of The Cosby Show star Malcolm-Jamal Warner, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. —Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2025

Witnesses said a family friend and the 12-year-old girl waded into the water without life jackets when the girl was seen flailing her arms and in distress, deputies said. —Kate Linderman, Kansas City Star, 25 July 2025

Rhymes for in distress

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