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
Sam had even called his mother and sister in distress about the man, who had threatened to kill him and his dog and to set his tent on fire.
—
Jose A. Del Real, Washington Post, 19 July 2024
David Bird, a wildlife biology professor at McGill University, is among those worried by rising confrontations between shorebirds and the drones patrolling New York City beaches for sharks and swimmers in distress, saying some endangered species could be driven to abandon their eggs.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 17 July 2024
An emergency assistance center will be set up Tuesday at Fosco Park, where community organizations will provide support resources to people in distress, including crisis counseling.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 9 July 2024
The film had extra resonance in Malta, which is one of the first ports of call for migrant boats trying to get to Europe from North Africa but has also been accused of declining calls for assistance from vessels in distress.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 1 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for in distress 
Jose A. Del Real, Washington Post, 19 July 2024
David Bird, a wildlife biology professor at McGill University, is among those worried by rising confrontations between shorebirds and the drones patrolling New York City beaches for sharks and swimmers in distress, saying some endangered species could be driven to abandon their eggs.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 17 July 2024
An emergency assistance center will be set up Tuesday at Fosco Park, where community organizations will provide support resources to people in distress, including crisis counseling.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 9 July 2024
The film had extra resonance in Malta, which is one of the first ports of call for migrant boats trying to get to Europe from North Africa but has also been accused of declining calls for assistance from vessels in distress.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 1 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for in distress
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'in distress.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near in distress
Cite this Entry
“In distress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20distress. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
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