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

Sam makes a production out of teasing them, mock-reaching for various items on the set as the whole group moans and wails in distress. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026

Real estate markets are struggling and traditional industries are mired in distress, but high-tech industries have advanced by leaps and bounds and the manufacturing sector, particularly advanced manufacturing, has become stronger. — Da Wei, Foreign Affairs, 7 Sep. 2026

Her cellmates saw her in distress and begged her to tell them what happened. — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2026

On Monday morning, the college student made a video call to his father in distress. — Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for in distress

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