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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

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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
Noun
Pain, infection, medication side effects, and other physical and emotional distresses may be expressed through shouting, intimidating gestures, kicking, pushing, or punching. — Jordan Rau, NPR, 19 July 2026
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
  • The new Brad Pitt vehicle, directed by David Ayer, takes pains to start with a scene that exists only to make this clear.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Joint and muscle pains are all too common for women in midlife.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of pains
Verb
  • Some of the sightings claim a man wearing clothing typical of the 17th or 18th centuries, a man dressed in Confederate attire in the liquor room, a ghost of a former worker Joseph Hardesty and a female who actively disturbs visitors to her home.
    — Kaitlyn Keegan, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026
  • That disturbs Masters, an auto mechanic who moved out of the mobile home park before the 2021 floods.
    — Ren Larson, ProPublica, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of disturbs
Noun
  • There are few harsher agonies than waiting, and throughout the great expanse of the CPKC ‘International’ Grand Prix presented by Rolex at the Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’, two riders felt that in very different ways.
    — Tilly Berendt, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of agonies
Verb
  • Kurt's key takeaways What bothers me most about DoppelCart is how convincing these fake stores can look.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026
  • What bothers Fairchild is the assumption behind it — that the dancers are voiceless and helpless.
    — Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of bothers
Noun
  • Some residents said hope is elusive given the island’s litany of miseries – from natural disasters to a bankrupt government to a financial control board that manages funding for infrastructure.
    — Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Cyclospora, an intestinal parasite, has sickened thousands of people and hospitalized hundreds with explosive diarrhea, painful cramping, or other gastrointestinal miseries.
    — Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of miseries
Verb
  • What worries her is that such existential fears could distract from present harms the technology is already causing, such as AI deepfakes, mental health challenges and the potential for job loss.
    — Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Eviction laws vary by state, but Batko worries that defaulting on even a single rent payment in some states can mean losing one's housing.
    — Marissa J. Lang, NPR, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of worries
Verb
  • Often, undercapitalization is a major challenge for new franchisees and distracts from operations.
    — Angelo Chavez, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Scientists now are spending an increasing amount of time worrying about keeping the lights on and people employed, which ultimately distracts from time spent doing research.
    — Abdullah Shihipar, STAT, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of distracts
Verb
  • There is precedent for this, though precedent might not be the right word given it concerns future events.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Meta glasses become hearing aids The more unexpected announcement concerns Meta’s non-VR glasses.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of concerns

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distresses
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Cite this Entry

“Distresses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distresses. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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