Definition of distress Distress

/dɪstɹɛˈs/ - [distres] - dis•tress

We found 25 definitions of distress from 8 different sources.

What does distress mean?

WordNet

Noun Plural: distresses
distress - psychological suffering; "the death of his wife caused him great distress"
		hurt, suffering
		painfulness, pain the quality of being painful; "she feared the painfulness of childbirth"
		anguish, torture, torment extreme mental distress
		self-torment, self-torture self-imposed distress
		tsoris (Yiddish) trouble and suffering
distress - a state of adversity (danger or affliction or need); "a ship in distress"; "she was the classic maiden in distress"
		hard knocks, adversity, hardship a stroke of ill fortune; a calamitous event; "a period marked by adversities"
		anguish extreme mental distress
		pressure a force that compels; "the public brought pressure to bear on the government"
distress - the seizure and holding of property as security for payment of a debt or satisfaction of a claim; "Originally distress was a landlord's remedy against a tenant for unpaid rents or property damage but now the landlord is given a landlord's lien"
		distraint
distress - extreme physical pain; "the patient appeared to be in distress"
Verb distresses, distressing, distressed
distress - cause mental pain to; "The news of her child's illness distressed the mother"
		disturb, trouble, upset damage as if by shaking or jarring; "Don't disturb the patient's wounds by moving him too rapidly!"
		besiege harass, as with questions or requests; "The press photographers besieged the movie star"
distress - bring into difficulties or distress, especially financial hardship
		straiten
		discommode, incommode, inconvenience, disoblige, trouble, bother, put out ignore someone's wishes

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Wiktionary

distress (Noun)
Cause of discomfort.
distress (Noun)
Serious danger.
distress (Noun)
A seizing of property without legal process to force payment of a debt.
distress (Verb)
To cause strain or anxiety to someone.
distress (Verb)
To retain someone’s property against the payment of a debt; to distrain.
distress (Verb)
To treat an object, such as an antique, to give it an appearance of age.

Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘

distress (n.)
Extreme pain or suffering; anguish of body or mind; as, to suffer distress from the gout, or from the loss of friends.
distress (n.)
That which occasions suffering; painful situation; misfortune; affliction; misery.
distress (n.)
A state of danger or necessity; as, a ship in distress, from leaking, loss of spars, want of provisions or water, etc.
distress (n.)
The act of distraining; the taking of a personal chattel out of the possession of a wrongdoer, by way of pledge for redress of an injury, or for the performance of a duty, as for nonpayment of rent or taxes, or for injury done by cattle, etc.
distress (n.)
The thing taken by distraining; that which is seized to procure satisfaction.
distress (n.)
To cause pain or anguish to; to pain; to oppress with calamity; to afflict; to harass; to make miserable.
distress (n.)
To compel by pain or suffering.
distress (n.)
To seize for debt; to distrain.

OmegaWiki DictionaryOmegaWiki Dictionary Ω

distress
An unpleasant, usually localised physical sensation that is often the result of an injury, disease or other ailment.

Chambers DictionaryChamber's 20th Century Dictionary 📕

distress
dis-tres′, n. extreme pain: that which causes suffering: calamity: misfortune: (arch.) compulsion: act of distraining goods.—v.t. to afflict with pain or suffering: to harass: to grieve: to distrain.—p.adj. Distressed′.—adj. Distress′ful.—adv. Distress′fully.—n. Distress′fulness.—p.adj. Distress′ing.—adv. Distress′ingly. [O. Fr. destresse—L. distringĕre, districtum, to pull asunder.]

Sailor's Word-BookThe Sailor's Word-Book ⛵

distress
A term used when a ship requires immediate assistance from unlooked-for damage or danger. (See SIGNAL OF DISTRESS.)

Proverbs DictionaryProverbs Dictionary 📗

distress
Two in distress make sorrows less.

Part of speech

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distress, verb, present, 1st person singular of distress (infinitive).
distress, verb (infinitive).
distress, noun, singular of distresses.

Pronunciation

Word frequency

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Sign Language

distress in sign language