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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Recent Examples of distraught
Seeking blankets in the ER’s makeshift morgue, Whitaker runs into a distraught Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle) breaking down after losing the girlfriend of his sort-of stepson — and still suffering from PTSD on the anniversary of his mentor’s death from COVID.
—
Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
She wasn’t moved to tears by Lainey Wilson’s headlining performance, nor was the singer-songwriter from rural San Luis Obispo, California, distraught over any kind of personal trauma triggered by Wilson’s lyrics (country songs are known for having this kind of effect, after all).
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 29 Apr. 2025
Carter’s widow, Lillian Carter, was too distraught to read her own statement.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 28 Apr. 2025
Baku is particularly distraught at the death of his old friend.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distraught
Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
She wasn’t moved to tears by Lainey Wilson’s headlining performance, nor was the singer-songwriter from rural San Luis Obispo, California, distraught over any kind of personal trauma triggered by Wilson’s lyrics (country songs are known for having this kind of effect, after all).
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 29 Apr. 2025
Carter’s widow, Lillian Carter, was too distraught to read her own statement.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 28 Apr. 2025
Baku is particularly distraught at the death of his old friend.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distraught
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distraught
Adjective
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Symptoms of anxiety include feeling restless, irritable, agitated or on edge; getting tired easily; and having muscle tension or trouble concentrating or sleeping.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 May 2025
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Read the full Gemini Daily Horoscope Cancer (June 22 - July 22) Emotionally agitated?—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
9 May 2025
Adjective
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Elsewhere in the episode, Torre reported that Belichick’s family members are among those who are worried about his relationship with Hudson, which was first made public last June.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
13 May 2025
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Nearly two-thirds (63%) are worried about global warming and 37% are not.—
Robert G. Eccles,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
Adjective
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The frightened Maltese was swimming in circles, but Desalvo and his colleagues were able to pull her to safety.—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
10 May 2025
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The first few attempts to free the dog failed, then the rescuers cleverly used a tarp to hoist the frightened animal to safety.—
Kendall Malinchock,
USA Today,
9 May 2025
Adjective
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The pair embark on a playdate at a beachfront promenade before holing up in a foreign hotel to evade an increasingly frantic Lee.—
Todd Gilchrist,
Variety,
15 May 2025
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What followed was a frantic scramble to get the wounded to the nearest hospital.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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Well, Netflix has found another one of these aspirational gurus who are scared to die and are willing to go to extreme lengths to preserve their physique — at any cost.—
Rebecca Aizin,
People.com,
16 May 2025
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More news: 3 Dodgers Under Most Pressure to Perform Following Shocking Roster Move While some fans appeared to be understandably scared, many just remained in their seats, seemingly unaware of the animal scurrying around them.—
Noah Camras,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 May 2025
Adjective
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While Pelkey may have spent his final moments upset, his AI likeness struck a conciliatory tone in court last week.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
8 May 2025
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Ruiz earned 7% of the vote, enough for Bill Brophy, Democrat Richard Alatorre’s Republican opponent, to pull off a stunning upset.—
Carlos De Loera,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Distraught.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distraught. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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