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
  • In your first trimester, exercises like bear crawls, side planks and bird dogs can reduce aches and pains later in pregnancy, like pelvic girdle pain, sometimes called lightning crotch.
    — Andee Tagle, NPR, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Only one thing gave Ruiz the kind of consolation that was truly the obverse of his physical pains, and that was the sacred figure of the Virgin Mary.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 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
  • 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
  • The result is a bunch of people losing their jobs, which really bothers me.
    — Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 4 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
  • The risk worries Natalie Thorpe, whose 3-year-old daughter tested high for lead as a baby.
    — Chris Bowling, ProPublica, 10 Aug. 2026
  • County Commission Chairman Mark Jerrell worries the state’s plan will place a larger burden on larger counties such as Mecklenburg, which account for more of the state’s SNAP recipients.
    — Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 10 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
  • By identifying exactly what the frustration concerns before reacting, leaders are more likely to channel emotion toward fixing broken systems instead of attacking individuals.
    — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Some users may not want their Twitch content used to train Amazon AI because of a lack of financial benefit, concerns that AI could cannibalize their business, or an aversion to the broader Amazon conglomerate.
    — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 12 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 17 Aug. 2026.

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