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

Standing water on a flat field is a symptom of a landscape in distress. —Justin Davidson, Curbed, 9 Sep. 2025

After Brandon's boat, with two people on board, went to assist the first boat in distress, his vessel capsized as individuals in the water tried to climb on board, WMGT and WGXA reported. —Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025

Earlier that month, the line’s Carnival Paradise ship rescued five people from a small boat in distress south of Cabo San Antonio, Cuba. —Nathan Diller, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025

That includes the requisite talking animal sidekick, Donkey (Eddie Murphy), and the damsel in distress, Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz). —Skyler Trepel September 1, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025

Rhymes for in distress

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