Synonyms of distress

distress 1 of 2

noun

di-ˈstres 

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

• agony
• anguish
• pain
• misery
• discomfort
• torment
• tribulation
• torture
• woe
• hurt
• sadness
• sorrow
• pang
• hardship
• excruciation
• travail
• difficulty
• affliction
• heartbreak
• rack
• danger
• strait(s)
• trouble
• unhappiness
• emergency
• heartache
• ache
• cross
• crucible
• jeopardy
• joylessness
• soreness
• twinge
• trial
• stitch
• pinch
• asperity
• rigor
• smarting
• throe

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• relief
• comfort
• consolation
• solace
• ease
• alleviation
• security
• peace
• assuagement
• well-being

2

as in risk

the state of not being protected from injury, harm, or evil

a ship in distress

Synonyms & Similar Words

• risk
• danger
• jeopardy
• trouble
• peril
• endangerment
• imperilment
• threat
• harm's way
• vulnerability
• exposure
• precariousness
• helplessness
• susceptibility
• openness
• liability
• weakness
• susceptibleness
• defenselessness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• safety
• security
• salvation
• preservation
• protection
• defense
• secureness
• safeness
• exemption
• immunity
• impunity
• inviolability
• invulnerability

distress

2 of 2

verb

as in to alarm

to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy

don't let all the bad news distress you

Synonyms & Similar Words

• alarm
• concern
• worry
• disturb
• bother
• distract
• anger
• discomfort
• plague
• upset
• agitate
• dismay
• disquiet
• unsettle
• annoy
• haunt
• discompose
• ail
• distemper
• exercise
• irritate
• perturb
• flurry
• derail
• fuss
• undo
• confuse
• freak (out)
• unhinge
• aggravate
• rattle
• exasperate
• bug
• embarrass
• weird out
• frazzle
• hagride
• harass
• vex
• irk
• discourage
• put off
• pester
• fret
• fluster
• pique
• put out
• chafe
• rile
• harry
• grate
• gall
• discomfit
• disconcert
• bedevil
• nettle
• confound
• shake up
• chivy
• peeve
• discountenance
• get
• mortify
• abash
• dispirit
• faze
• dishearten
• jar
• unnerve
• demoralize
• daunt
• nonplus

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• soothe
• calm
• alleviate
• settle
• quiet
• compose
• allay
• assuage
• tranquilize
• pacify
• placate
• appease
• mollify
• conciliate
• propitiate

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun distress differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of distress are agony, misery, and suffering. While all these words mean "the state of being in great trouble," distress implies an external and usually temporary cause of great physical or mental strain and stress.

the hurricane put everyone in great distress

When might agony be a better fit than distress?

In some situations, the words agony and distress are roughly equivalent. However, agony suggests pain too intense to be borne.

in agony over the death of their child

When is misery a more appropriate choice than distress?

While in some cases nearly identical to distress, misery stresses the unhappiness attending especially sickness, poverty, or loss.

the homeless live with misery every day

When could suffering be used to replace distress?

The synonyms suffering and distress are sometimes interchangeable, but suffering implies conscious endurance of pain or distress.

the suffering of famine victims

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of distress

Noun

Officials in Santa Cruz County have declared a state of fiscal distress and are placing a sales tax measure on the November ballot, citing cuts to federal and state funding. — Tim Fang, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026

Reactions range from itching, hives, swelling, and gastrointestinal distress to life-threatening anaphylaxis, and their severity varies among individuals and between exposures. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Aug. 2026

Verb

Machado, who has known Castellanos since childhood, was clearly distressed by the move. — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 June 2026

Today, the digital experience and ability to connect in different ways, particularly when seeing distressing stimuli on social media, has fundamentally changed the human experience. — Maayan Aviv, Forbes.com, 2 June 2026