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
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
An off-duty State Parks officer located a family in distress near the water.
—Brandon Downs, CBS News, 16 Nov. 2025
Radio towers now include direction-finding capabilities for radio signals that allow emergency responders to much more quickly and accurately triangulate the location of a ship in distress, Snyder said.
—Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 2 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in distress
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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
An off-duty State Parks officer located a family in distress near the water.
—Brandon Downs, CBS News, 16 Nov. 2025
Radio towers now include direction-finding capabilities for radio signals that allow emergency responders to much more quickly and accurately triangulate the location of a ship in distress, Snyder said.
—Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 2 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 29 Nov. 2025.
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