DISTRESSES Synonyms: 135 Similar and Opposite Words

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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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

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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

Noun

With exceptional performances from the entire cast and homages to musical legends like Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson, Bioh and White present a reflection of the Black female experience in all of its dazzling idiosyncrasies, triumphs and pains.

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 29 Sep. 2026
Some people spend hundreds on first-class upgrades to feel better, but a pair of lightweight compression socks can prevent a lot of the pains that come with long travel days—even if you’re stuck in economy.

— Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 27 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

This is why the sameness creeping into corporate communications right now bothers me more than the question of whether AI can write a good press release.

— Amanda Simonian, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
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

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

Emirati prosecutors opened an investigation after a co-pilot stabbed his captain mid-flight, asserting jurisdiction over a crime that also concerns Saudi Arabia and Israel.

— Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Arguably the most important question in percolation theory concerns the transition from a system with only finite clusters to one with infinite clusters.

— Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of concerns

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“Distresses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distresses. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of distresses

noun

verb

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