DISTRAUGHT Synonyms: 60 Similar and Opposite Words

distraught

adjective

di-ˈstrȯt

Definition of distraught

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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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of distraught On December 2, 1717, a distraught George Augustus and Caroline packed up their household and said goodbye to their children. — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 9 July 2026 Multiple people, including the distraught parents of the child and two officers who were at the hospital, had questioned whether the child was breathing after he was declared dead, according to the police report. — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 7 July 2026 Plus, Brazilian fans and players were left distraught and searching for answers after an elimination by Norway, whose striker Erling Haaland solidified his superstar status with another brace. — Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 6 July 2026 In fact, when a distraught Tom Hayward suddenly reappears, a content Mary is strolling in a local park on her own. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for distraught

Recent Examples of Synonyms for distraught

Adjective

In the theatre, Holzinger’s instructions were direct, never agitated or hostile, spoken into a microphone from the front row.

— Lauren Oyler, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
Sharks do not typically view humans as prey, but, as wildlife biologist Forrest Galante explained to OutKick Outdoors, a curious or agitated shark can still do plenty of damage with an exploratory bite.

— Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 July 2026

Definition of agitated

Adjective

If anyone was worried about a lack of personality from SEC coaches this coming season, their fears were likely quelled during SEC Media Days this week.

— Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 July 2026
Luria, however, worried about that tangle of investments which bind the AI giants to their own customers; the love triangle of Google, Amazon and Anthropic; Microsoft and OpenAI, Nvidia and CoreWeave.

— Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 23 July 2026

Definition of worried

Adjective

Kurfürstendamm is just steps away, as is the Tiergarten, yet the neighborhood never feels frantic.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 July 2026
Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa also scored as England raced to a 4-0 halftime lead before surviving a frantic second half to secure the nation’s best World Cup finish since winning the title in 1966.

— Mark Hodge, NBC news, 20 July 2026

Definition of frantic

Adjective

Òdódó’s transformation from a naïve and scared young woman into a powerful and influential queen at the king’s court is both remarkable and realistic, and so is her complex relationship with her husband (and captor).

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 July 2026
Some nights, when he was stressed or scared, Jean would tell him stories.

— Juliet Linderman, Fortune, 16 July 2026

Definition of scared

Adjective

Part of his charm here included playing the stalwart father figure to two terrified kids — someone a child could trust to stick around and keep watch all night when the dinosaurs came chomping.

— Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 14 July 2026
On the 14th floor, three of them broke into Ojeda’s apartment, handcuffed him in front of his terrified wife and son, and dragged him out, according to court documents and security video.

— Sebastian Rotella, ProPublica, 10 July 2026

Definition of terrified

Browse Nearby Words

distrait

distraught

distress

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“Distraught.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distraught. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of distraught

adjective

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