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

One whale metaphor that lands quite nicely is how the sperm whale calls out for help when in distress, which inspires a Hail Mary plan in Jay’s fight for freedom from the belly of the beast. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026

Upon arrival, Addison quickly recognized the child was in distress, removed his gear, and jumped into the water to bring the boy safely to shore. — Peter D'oench, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026

In another video, passengers weep and cry out in distress as the aircraft shakes. — Samy Magdy, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026

Some anti-immigration activists have targeted the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, a 200-year-old volunteer force that rescues people in distress at sea, because it is often called out to meet the migrant boats. — Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for in distress

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