as in agitated
feeling overwhelming fear or worry
distraught relatives waiting to learn whether there were any survivors of the plane crash
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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
And when the detective handed his business card over and explained the situation, the guy was very distraught and very sad.
—
Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
There seems to be an emotional disconnect between their characters, as Anne appears somewhat distraught, while H arington's character looks much more at ease.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Jan. 2026
Michael Lynch, 62, went to New York Presbyterian-Brooklyn Methodist Hospital on Wednesday with his wife, worried about pressure in his head and tingling in his hands, his distraught spouse told the Daily News.
—Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 11 Jan. 2026
The 23-year-old Shou, a lifelong Fremont resident, won out over hundreds of others eager to play 17-year-old Joe, a troubled San Gabriel Valley area high school student with schizophrenia whose distraught mom Irene (Liu, in a transformative performance) is dying of cancer.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for distraught
Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
There seems to be an emotional disconnect between their characters, as Anne appears somewhat distraught, while H arington's character looks much more at ease.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Jan. 2026
Michael Lynch, 62, went to New York Presbyterian-Brooklyn Methodist Hospital on Wednesday with his wife, worried about pressure in his head and tingling in his hands, his distraught spouse told the Daily News.
—Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 11 Jan. 2026
The 23-year-old Shou, a lifelong Fremont resident, won out over hundreds of others eager to play 17-year-old Joe, a troubled San Gabriel Valley area high school student with schizophrenia whose distraught mom Irene (Liu, in a transformative performance) is dying of cancer.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for distraught
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distraught
Adjective
-
Harris, in particular, looks agitated, and just before walking through the curtains to take her place on stage, lets out a heavy sigh.—
Kyler Alvord,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
-
They easily could have been mistaken for agitated sports fans, and their actions were small and diffuse enough that they could be quickly dispersed.—
Davood Moradian,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Capital expenditures, which are closely watched by investors who are worried about overspending, are expected to range between $175 billion to $185 billion in 2026.—
Jason Gewirtz,
CNBC,
5 Feb. 2026
-
But Willie Brown, the former mayor and speaker was not worried that Newsom would overly burnish his own story in his book.—
Andrew Graham,
Sacbee.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The student’s grandmother, who also lived in the home and was caring for the infant, was too frightened to pick up the older child at school, so officials scrambled to find the child’s uncle.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Firefighters immediately arrived at the scene and pulled frightened residents from windows, stairwells, and elevator shafts as the building erupted into flames.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The Heat thrive when their opponent is off-balance, setting a frantic pace from the opening tip and transforming mistakes into extra points.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The killing set off a frantic manhunt across the region.—
Adam Reiss,
NBC news,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Children are particularly vulnerable due to their smaller size and natural reaction when scared.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Children of color are scared to be out on the streets and in their cars.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Innocent men remain terrified of false allegations, while victims still face one terrible choice after another.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Barry’s little sister, who answered the call, was terrified.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Witnesses told investigators Lynch was upset and angry about the breakup and talked of suicide.—
Katie Houlis,
CBS News,
31 Jan. 2026
-
But in what can perhaps be called a minor upset, Noem was still in her role by week’s end.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Distraught.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distraught. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
