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
as in disturbs
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 distresses
Amber Gaudet, Charlotte Observer, 6 May 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
Noun
-
However, while yellow journalism often resulted in articles that were exaggerated or misleading, TMZ usually takes pains to be rigorous and accurate in its reporting.—
Angelica Kalika,
The Conversation,
2 June 2026
-
Acer was also at pains to point out the large performance differential between the RTX 5070 Ti and the vanilla RTX 5070, which sounds similar.—
John Burek,
PC Magazine,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Regardless, there’s a clear symbolism to Clark empathizing and embracing a bloated externalization of his own inchoate fury until someone with an outside perspective disturbs his peace, and that fury breaks loose and devours him.—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
-
That brings us to the part of the ShotSpotter discussion that perhaps disturbs us most.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Although the novel’s center does not quite hold, O’Farrell’s emotional intelligence — the heart and heat of her characters — braces this sometimes unwieldy chronicle of a nation that has been subject to cumbrous historic agonies.—
Rachel Vorona Cote,
Vulture,
2 June 2026
-
The agonies of the day were only intermittently audible in the music on offer in Witten.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
What bothers me still is the Maloofs or (current ownership) never honored Rick with a special night.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
-
Shields added at the time that she's learned to speak up when something bothers her rather than assuming her spouse can read her mind.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
27 May 2026
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
Verb
-
And as demand continues to climb, Spicer worries about keeping up with the growing need.—
Sofia Baltodano
June 8,
Miami Herald,
8 June 2026
-
In a year where so many competing interests are fighting over a limited amount of state funds, Palm worries Shapiro's proposal may go overlooked by lawmakers.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
Mother’s explosion distracts Blaine and frees Sam.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
22 May 2026
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In my view, platforming these young men and sensationalizing their behaviors, rather than recognizing those behaviors as signs of psychological distress, distracts from the urgent need to address these serious mental health concerns.—
Jordyn Tovey,
The Conversation,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
The loss concerns an avid birder like Gang.—
Noel Brennan,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
-
Lawmaker concerns over wait times persist Bisignano's testimony comes more than one year after he was sworn in to lead the Social Security Administration in May 2025.—
Lorie Konish,
CNBC,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Distresses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distresses. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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