distraught

adjective

di-ˈstrȯt How to pronounce distraught (audio)
Definition of distraughtnext
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

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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 The latter seemed distraught over the fact that his first postseason had just ended with a sweep in the ALDS. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026 Sun, who was given a wild card entry by tournament organizers and was making her WTA Tour debut, appeared distraught after the loss. — CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026 Some distraught users took to social media to express their alarm at how the AI agent, which required masses of personal data to operate without detailed instructions, had a habit of going rogue. — Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 19 Sep. 2026 Andrew offers his distraught daughter little sympathy, and from that moment, a murder plot begins to take shape. — Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for distraught
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distraught
  1. agitated
  2. worried
  3. frightened
  4. frantic
  5. scared
  6. terrified
  7. upset
Adjective
  • Pressed by a reporter on a Zoom call about specific players, Wade grew agitated and defiant.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026
  • When the door finally opened, an agitated young man who resembled Ryan Gosling (Rett Keeter) shined an LED flashlight directly into my eyes, a gesture that would become familiar over the next hour.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of agitated
Adjective
  • Many were worried that this would lead to productivity losses.
    — Volen Vulkov, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • On Monday morning, a relative of Cantrell who was worried that the baby might be Cantrell’s called police.
    — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of worried
Adjective
  • Discovering that your identity has been stolen can leave you feeling angry, frightened and unsure where to begin.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • In one video, a young orangutan can be seen crouching in the corner of a small, dark crate, its frightened eyes wide open.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of frightened
Adjective
  • Keeping The Faith So all’s well that ends well, and frantic, for Halfway 2 Jesus, Rock’s 13th album and the follow-up to 2022’s angry, politically charged Bad Reputation.
    — Gary Graff, Billboard, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Newly obtained 911 audio is shedding light on the frantic response when Hayden Panettiere was found unresponsive in a Greenville, South Carolina, apartment in August.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of frantic
Adjective
  • The move comes after years of criticism from animal rights advocates who charge that the horses are overworked, get easily scared and live in inadequate stables with drivers flouting city regulations.
    — Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Older riders, who once sold important organs to buy in-line fours, are now too old and too scared to even care what 14,000rpm in top means on an in-line four.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of scared
Adjective
  • Even after the attacker was restrained, passengers remained terrified.
    — Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • This kind of conversation always leaves me half-amused, half-terrified.
    — Alicja Turczyk, The Dial, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of terrified
Adjective
  • The dispute could present a problem for Raman, who rode DSA support to an upset City Council victory in 2020 but has since frustrated some DSA members with her positions on policing, housing development, and Israel.
    — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 19 Oct. 2026
  • With the upset win over the Ravens, Cleveland moves to 4-2 and into a tie with Baltimore and Pittsburgh.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of upset

Browse Nearby Words

distrait
distraught
distress
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Cite this Entry

“Distraught.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distraught. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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