as in agitated
feeling overwhelming fear or worry
distraught relatives waiting to learn whether there were any survivors of the plane crash
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of distraught
Morrison talked about how her daughter was distraught after the breakup, leading to an emotional moment where Morrison ran offstage in tears.
—
Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
While cathartic for a moment, both Claire and Jamie are distraught, thinking that their daughter could have been alive and never knew.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
That’s a lot of people, plus their distraught families.
—Jim Nowlan, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
The family of the victim is distraught.
—Conor Wight, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for distraught
Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
While cathartic for a moment, both Claire and Jamie are distraught, thinking that their daughter could have been alive and never knew.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
That’s a lot of people, plus their distraught families.
—Jim Nowlan, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
The family of the victim is distraught.
—Conor Wight, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for distraught
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distraught
Adjective
-
Iannarelli explained that a core element of de-escalation is projecting calmness, as individuals often mimic those who appear angry and agitated.—
Evonne Andris,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Jackson allegedly appeared to be in a highly agitated state and was moving erratically and mumbling, police body camera footage shows.—
Kellie Love,
Hartford Courant,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Her advice to anyone who is worried about giant hogweed is to take steps to identify it.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
-
So, should human artists be worried?—
Stephy Chung,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Chesney became frightened, scaled the enclosure wall and hopped over the fence.—
Hannah Kirby,
jsonline.com,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Scared and frightened, the only way to relieve the pain is to sell.—
,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In the early morning of April 25, 2010, 911 dispatchers received a frantic call from Heidi Firkus, 25.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Alexander Talbot of the Wolcott Police Department arrived and approached the front porch, Jackson allegedly became more upset and frantic, according to the report.—
Kellie Love,
Hartford Courant,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Employees felt unsafe coming to work; customers were scared to leave their homes.—
David Farley,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Hearts have melted online after a scared rescue dog bravely faced her fear in order to join her owner, with many viewers praising her unquestionable courage and determination.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Recently, Kristen chased a terrified family with young children up a nearby stairway.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
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But since the arrival of the feds, families had grown too terrified to leave home.—
Daniel Brook,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Virginia made one last push, cutting TCU’s lead to 65-55, but the Horned Frogs quickly delivered the knockout blow as Miles knocked down a 3 and Suarez hit sophomore center Clara Silva for a layup to end Virginia’s hopes of another upset.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Mar. 2026
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In the video of the altercation, which was broken into clips and cross-posted across social media platforms, Peters and the woman are hanging out when Lentz arrives, upset.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Distraught.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distraught. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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