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
Driver and Teller tease out a rich spectrum of sibling emotions; as Irwin’s distraught yet determined wife, Hester, Scarlett Johansson gives a piercing performance.
—
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 27 May 2026
Brayan Rayo Garzon was distraught.
—CBS News, 27 May 2026
Gocaj’s distraught relatives told WABC Eyewitness News that the Westchester resident had two children and two grandchildren.
—New York Daily News, Boston Herald, 20 May 2026
The actor and hair stylist, who met Weinstein in her twenties while trying to make it as an actor in Hollywood, spent five days on the stand, frequently becoming distraught while divulging deeply personal details about her life and four-year relationship with Weinstein.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for distraught
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 27 May 2026
Brayan Rayo Garzon was distraught.
—CBS News, 27 May 2026
Gocaj’s distraught relatives told WABC Eyewitness News that the Westchester resident had two children and two grandchildren.
—New York Daily News, Boston Herald, 20 May 2026
The actor and hair stylist, who met Weinstein in her twenties while trying to make it as an actor in Hollywood, spent five days on the stand, frequently becoming distraught while divulging deeply personal details about her life and four-year relationship with Weinstein.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for distraught
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distraught
Adjective
-
There should be trainings at your school on how to deal with agitated students and hostile situations.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
8 June 2026
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Johnson became further agitated when Scott asked her about her seemingly troubled relationship with her daughters.—
KC Baker,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Kyoto, Japan — Nancy Higginbotham wasn’t worried when her 20-year-old son got on a train by himself during their family vacation in Japan.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
-
Farmers are now worried the beef industry could be on the fritz for a while.—
Justin Klawans,
TheWeek,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
The entries never become frightened.—
Kate Casey,
Vanity Fair,
2 June 2026
-
Fireworks set off without authorization in Rome reportedly triggered a mass stampede of frightened horses during a late-night rehearsal for Italy’s annual Republic Day parade, injuring multiple riders and animals.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
The mother of 7-month-old Emmanuel Haro — who claimed her son had been kidnapped, kicking off a frantic search in the Inland Empire — now faces a lengthy prison sentence after admitting to charges related to her role in the infant’s disappearance and death.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
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While unfortunate, the frantic opening minutes of the second half highlighted a continuing issue for Miller.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Is this person happy, sad, scared?—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
8 June 2026
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The clinic struggled to keep staff during the epidemic and the nurse was too scared to run it by herself, Dunn said.—
Imani Cruzen,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2026
Adjective
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An Orange County man downed 2 quarts of Jack Daniel’s before firing a gun multiple times inside his Laguna Niguel home, forcing terrified relatives to flee.—
Seamus Bozeman
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
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Social media video showed dozens of terrified elementary schoolchildren crouching down outdoors as the ground beneath them swayed violently in the province of Davao Occidental.—
Kathleen Magramo,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Brueggmann was more than good Friday, lifting the Warriors to a 2-1 upset victory over Marist in a Class 4A state semifinal game at Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria.—
Tony Baranek,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2026
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According to the standings, this wasn’t much of an upset.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Distraught.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distraught. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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