distresses 1 of 2

noun

plural of distress
as in pains
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

distresses

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of distress
as in disturbs
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

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 distresses
Verb
About 6 million Americans had opioid use disorder — a problematic pattern of opioid use that significantly impairs or distresses a patient — as of 2022, according to the CDC. — Amber Gaudet, Charlotte Observer, 6 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distresses
  1. pains
  2. disturbs
  3. agonies
  4. bothers
  5. miseries
  6. worries
  7. distracts
  8. concerns
Noun
  • Having witnessed centuries of religious warfare in Europe, when millions were killed for their beliefs, the framers took pains to make sure nothing like that would happen here.
    — Kenneth Seeskin, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
  • Perhaps second only to getting sunburned through your favorite white dress, the greatest casualty of summer fashion is the aches and pains brought on by your cutest but least supportive shoes.
    — Annie Blackman, InStyle, 4 July 2026
Definition of pains
Verb
  • Tilling or plowing in the summer disturbs the soil's delicate ecosystem and exposes moist soil to rapid water loss.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 24 June 2026
  • The pier in Michigan City’s Washington Park disturbs the natural flow of sand along the lakeshore, creating new land east of the pier but starving beaches to the west, an erosion problem repeated by other manmade structures that jut out into Lake Michigan.
    — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2026
Definition of disturbs
Noun
  • Sadly, in discouraging all the phantom agonies, FIFA inadvertently seems to have done away with the equally farcical phenomenon that is Magic Spray®.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 17 July 2026
  • The reticence of Cartland’s heroes belies agonies of loneliness.
    — Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 18 June 2026
Definition of agonies
Verb
  • If that bothers you, then a significant projection for Bo Nix’s season will make your skin crawl.
    — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 6 July 2026
  • What bothers me more is when passengers take up valuable overhead bin space with personal items like backpacks and jackets before everyone has finished boarding.
    — Skyli Alvarez, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 July 2026
Definition of bothers
Noun
  • The sad thing is that the miseries return, but there is no other Garrincha available.
    — Jack Lang, New York Times, 28 May 2026
  • The parallels between Ines’ dilemma and that of a nation being asked to lick its wounds in silence — in the name of moving on from past miseries — are present but elusive.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 14 May 2026
Definition of miseries
Verb
  • Bateman worries audiences may eventually stop caring whether a performance comes from a human being or AI.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026
  • Wolf worries about people being able to afford to stay in or move to the area and about protecting the health of local fisheries so important to the economy.
    — Becky Bohrer, Fortune, 13 July 2026
Definition of worries
Verb
  • Align Expansion With Your Mission Before expanding, ask whether the new service strengthens your mission or distracts from it.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • Mother’s explosion distracts Blaine and frees Sam.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 22 May 2026
Definition of distracts
Verb
  • Bradač’s proof concerns off-diagonal Ramsey numbers, which allow for large differences between the size of a clique and the size of an independent set.
    — Sam Macdonald, Scientific American, 15 July 2026
  • Lyndsy Fonseca, rapper Russ, Tom Cavanagh, Hunter King, Joseph Lee Anderson and Rob Riggle star in the indie film, which concerns a group of campers who run into a nasty, giant, prehistoric spider.
    — William Earl, Variety, 15 July 2026
Definition of concerns

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Cite this Entry

“Distresses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distresses. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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