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
  • Nielsen has taken great pains to caution that there is no guarantee that ratings gains will accompany these changes, which are being implemented to further improve the accuracy of its data gathering.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 19 Aug. 2026
  • If an infected person has trouble breathing, persistent chest pains or pressure, loses consciousness or sudden confusion, call 911.
    — Hali Smith, Idaho Statesman, 19 Aug. 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
  • Repel Mice Ultrasonic mouse repellers emit high-frequency sound waves that humans can’t hear, but the high pitch bothers mice.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Aug. 2026
  • My concern is what happens when the signal becomes so established that nobody bothers separating it from the qualities it was supposed to represent.
    — Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of bothers
Noun
  • 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
  • The sad thing is that the miseries return, but there is no other Garrincha available.
    — Jack Lang, New York Times, 28 May 2026
Definition of miseries
Verb
  • Unemployment worries The jobs picture may be worse than official figures suggest.
    — Anniek Bao,Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 17 Aug. 2026
  • While her daughter has not experienced lasting health effects, VandenBerg worries about what remains unknown.
    — Christiana Freitag, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of worries
Verb
  • This cultural debate distracts from systemic policy failures and the high cost of raising children, which makes motherhood an economic battleground.
    — Julia Korn, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • Mother’s explosion distracts Blaine and frees Sam.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 22 May 2026
Definition of distracts
Verb
  • Urgent Matter reports that the dispute concerns a preservation easement on the nineteen-story building, Frank Lloyd Wright‘s only skyscraper, completed in 1956, and located forty-five miles north of Tulsa.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The three-level promoter structure applies regardless of whether the change concerns a new product, new service, or internal process innovation.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 17 Aug. 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 24 Aug. 2026.

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