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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of distress
Nik Popli, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
A number of other African nations including Gabon and Mozambique have also recently lowered their risks of debt distress, but others like Senegal remain on edge.
—Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 28 Jan. 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
The demonstrations, sparked by economic distress and anger at Iran’s clerical rulers, were met with a sweeping crackdown that activists say has killed thousands.
—Nik Popli, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
A number of other African nations including Gabon and Mozambique have also recently lowered their risks of debt distress, but others like Senegal remain on edge.
—Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 28 Jan. 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
-
The agony of not knowing what would happen to his wife and only child overwhelmed Luis, Xiong said.—
Holly Yan,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Well, there was a great deal left in me, in an agony of embarrassment looking around for that hole on the floor to crawl into.—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza,
Scientific American,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The risk remained even after researchers accounted for how closely people followed a healthy Mediterranean-style diet.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Of course, any intense media scrutiny risks being distracting, especially when it is not directly related to the work of the foundation.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
My behavior may have alarmed my roommates.—
Ivy Nelson,
Pitchfork,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Recently, something new appeared on the landscape, alarming wildlife advocates like Christina Aiello.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
White’s dialogue is unsentimental but rife with anguish; Owen Teague and a seductive, destructive Abbey Lee give the pain its due.—
Brian Seibert,
New Yorker,
6 Feb. 2026
-
His murder was met with fury and anguish.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The firm ran ads warning of the dangers of marijuana during the weeks leading up to the vote on the Amendment 3, which won approval from 56% of Florida voters but failed to reach the 60% threshold needed to become law.—
Jeffrey Schweers,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2026
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The scenes playing out in Minneapolis in recent weeks offer an object lesson in the dangers of federal overreach.—
Stephen Mihm,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But some consumers and lawmakers are concerned the technology allows stores to suddenly hike prices on certain items during high-demand windows.—
Francesca Pica,
jsonline.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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When Reeves’ political future was in doubt last summer, gilt yields spiked as much as 22 basis points in a single day, with market watchers saying at the time that investors were concerned her departure would lead to the government spending and borrowing more.—
Chloe Taylor,
CNBC,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Stafford’s winning the award eased some of the pain of losing the NFC championship to the Seattle Seahawks, McVay said.—
Gary Klein,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Often, they were driven by extreme desperation, a need to believe any explanation, no matter how outlandish, to explain their children’s pain.—
Ej Dickson,
Rolling Stone,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But when a violent new cellmate Dee (Blyth) arrives, the chance for Taylor to get his life back is put in jeopardy.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Jan. 2026
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Is a bit of jeopardy exactly the kind of galvanising motivation Arsenal need to click back into gear?—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Distress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distress. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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