in distress

idiom

: very upset

He was clearly in distress upon hearing the news.

: 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.

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 Hospital emergency room staff suspected a newborn infant may be in distress because a Falmouth woman, now known as Kimberly, came to the hospital complaining of suffering from a miscarriage, the release states. —

Jennifer Edwards Baker, The Enquirer, 17 Apr. 2024 The threshold for intervention should be relatively low so that a threat assessment team can identify students in distress before their behavior escalates, according to the report. —

Yana Kunichoff, The Arizona Republic, 17 Apr. 2024 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, EW.com, 16 Apr. 2024 Since early April, the National Marine Fisheries Service has been trying to rescue and rehabilitate sawfish spotted in distress, a logistically daunting effort that the agency calls the first of its kind in the United States. —

Patricia Mazzei, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024 The lack of assistance in response to the disclosure of domestic violence left many participants in distress. —

Lauren Cattaneo, The Conversation, 11 Apr. 2024 The Apple Watch would also be able to determine when the data from the sensors is totally off, meaning a person could be in distress. —

Oscar Gonzalez / Gizmodo, Quartz, 2 Apr. 2024 But those flags can't help spot, or help, someone in distress, and are no replacement for lifeguards, Benjamin said. —

Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 31 Mar. 2024 With an all-star cast including Angela Bassett, Robin Wright, and Nick Robinson, the film turns the damsel in distress trope on its head, featuring mystical elements, epic battles, and a princess who must look within in order to save herself. —

Travis Bean, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

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.