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
In the past, all have provided at least temporary shelter to refugees in distress.
—
Edna Tarigan and Reza Saifullah, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Dec. 2023
Tina Turner is a luxury in distress, followed by exile.
—Harmony Holiday, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2023
Their white counterparts, however are viewed as a damsel in distress, needing to be rescued.
—Natalie Wilson, Essence, 2 Sep. 2023
Because one of the very strong indicators of a climate in distress is our now-unpredictable jet stream, which used to go around the Northern Hemisphere in a fairly consistent conveyor belt-like way.
—Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Nov. 2023
Advertisement As with Anderson’s case, Smith’s death was held up by mental health practitioners and critics of the department as proof that officers are ill-equipped to make the right decisions when confronting people in distress.
—Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 23 Nov. 2023
Property values have fallen by a fifth since the Fed began hiking in March 2022 and almost 8% of securitized property loans are in distress, according to CRED iQ data.
—Carol Ryan, WSJ, 16 Nov. 2023
Princess Peach, far from being a damsel in distress, is a genuine leader of the Mushroom Kingdom.
—WIRED, 9 Nov. 2023
That film — an orgy of violence perpetrated by stereotyped Blacks against White damsels in distress — was so popular it was treated to a special screening at Woodrow Wilson’s White House.
—Wil Haygood, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2023
See More
Edna Tarigan and Reza Saifullah, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Dec. 2023
Tina Turner is a luxury in distress, followed by exile.
—Harmony Holiday, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2023
Their white counterparts, however are viewed as a damsel in distress, needing to be rescued.
—Natalie Wilson, Essence, 2 Sep. 2023
Because one of the very strong indicators of a climate in distress is our now-unpredictable jet stream, which used to go around the Northern Hemisphere in a fairly consistent conveyor belt-like way.
—Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Nov. 2023
Advertisement As with Anderson’s case, Smith’s death was held up by mental health practitioners and critics of the department as proof that officers are ill-equipped to make the right decisions when confronting people in distress.
—Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 23 Nov. 2023
Property values have fallen by a fifth since the Fed began hiking in March 2022 and almost 8% of securitized property loans are in distress, according to CRED iQ data.
—Carol Ryan, WSJ, 16 Nov. 2023
Princess Peach, far from being a damsel in distress, is a genuine leader of the Mushroom Kingdom.
—WIRED, 9 Nov. 2023
That film — an orgy of violence perpetrated by stereotyped Blacks against White damsels in distress — was so popular it was treated to a special screening at Woodrow Wilson’s White House.
—Wil Haygood, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2023
See More
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 23 Dec. 2023.
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