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

But the damsel isn’t in distress, the monster isn’t so bad, and some raunchy jokes may go over kids’ heads (but will likely delight parents). —Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025

Community activist Early Walker and E&R Towing CEO Kevin Corcoran picked Carlos for their annual Secret Santa campaign to help families in distress due to gun violence. —Todd Feurer, CBS News, 24 Dec. 2025

The story lodged in the memories of why people don’t step up to help others in distress is an infamous 1964 murder case. —Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 20 Dec. 2025

In February, Lake Norman issued a proclamation honoring Biffle as a 2025 NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee and a 20-year helicopter pilot who delivered critical supplies to families in distress after Hurricane Helene. —Charlotte Observer, 18 Dec. 2025

Rhymes for in distress

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