1
as in agony
a state of great suffering of body or mind
the upcoming bar exam is causing us considerable distress the survivors were in extreme distress after having been stranded on the island for a week with no food
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in risk
the state of not being protected from injury, harm, or evil
a ship in distress
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to alarm
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
don't let all the bad news distress you
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of distress
Irene Wright, USA Today, 23 Feb. 2026
That amount, which may be updated in the coming days, accounts for the costs incurred by all the agencies that responded to his fake distress call.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 23 Feb. 2026
Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 21 Jan. 2026
Ukrainian drone operators were reportedly distressed at having to kill horses, but have apparently adopted new tactics.
—David Hambling, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for distress
Noun
These cities experiencing most financial distress WalletHub compared the 100 largest cities in the country across nine metrics in six categories to determine where financial stress was highest.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 23 Feb. 2026
That amount, which may be updated in the coming days, accounts for the costs incurred by all the agencies that responded to his fake distress call.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 23 Feb. 2026
Verb
Mainstream medical groups support puberty blockers and hormonal treatment for children who are consistent in their transgender identity and distressed by the prospect of unmedicated puberty.
—Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 21 Jan. 2026
Ukrainian drone operators were reportedly distressed at having to kill horses, but have apparently adopted new tactics.
—David Hambling, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for distress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distress
Noun
-
But Open, Heaven also courses with youth’s great agony, the cruelty that learning to love should be inexorably followed by learning to grieve its undoing.—
Gabrielle Bellot,
Literary Hub,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The biggest indication yet that Konstantinos Mavropanos’ stock is at an all-time high was the sudden silence around the London Stadium when the defender was seen holding his right knee in agony.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Once stationary, turn off all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights are not illuminated, reducing the risk of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Feb. 2026
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Brazil's meteorology institute, Inmet, said on Thursday morning that more rain with strong winds was forecast, and pointed to a risk of power outages, falling tree branches, flooding and lightning strikes.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Kevin Brown, who runs the HAZMAT detail at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, said residents should not be alarmed by the presence of the WMD Civil Support Team.—
Jeff Nguyen,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The spike has alarmed public health experts, many of whom blame the disease’s resurgence on declining rates of vaccination against measles.—
Lauren J. Young,
Scientific American,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Putting private anguish and public witnessing into forceful tension, Paksa fashioned a productively ambivalent rubric for the artist under authoritarianism.—
Daniel R. Quiles,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2026
-
The discomfort of boredom, even the anguish of it, can spur us into flights of imagination, resourcefulness, and invention.—
Daniel Smith,
The Atlantic,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Armed Black men were relied upon in moments of danger, then denied pensions, land, or political standing once the danger passed.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Democrats are wrong to reflexively oppose the president’s actions before considering the dangers Iran poses to the region and the possibility of a more peaceful Middle East.—
Colin Pascal,
Baltimore Sun,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Council also approved a resolution adopting a social media policy concerning comments posted on the town’s Facebook page.—
Jim Woods,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Yet, still, the president’s comments have concerned elections officials on both sides of the aisle.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
That our divorce, though managed with comparative civility, caused our daughter abiding pain hardened my resolve to cap my output at one.—
Daniel Smith,
The Atlantic,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Gunshots to the abdomen were identified as abdominal pain; broken bones were recorded as a falling accident.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
That work is not in immediate jeopardy of running out of money.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
The real sense of jeopardy that dominated the opening week was psychological.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Distress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distress. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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