Distress

Quick meaning: Distress is a noun meaning Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.

Meaning

Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.

More Meanings

1. A cause of such discomfort.
2. Serious danger.
3. (medicine, psychology) An aversive state of stress to which a person cannot fully adapt.
4. (law) A seizing of property without legal process to force payment of a debt.
5. (law) The thing taken by distraining; that which is seized to procure satisfaction.
6. To cause strain or anxiety to someone.
7. (law) To retain someone’s property against the payment of a debt; to distrain.

Example Sentences

The distress thus taken must be proportioned to the thing distrained for.

If he were not paid, he would straight go and take a distress of goods and cattle.

She respects me, no doubt, but has no longer any passionate feeling for me, and my death will distress her without plunging her in despair.

I immediately considered that this must be some ship in distress, and that they had some comrade, or some other ship in company, and fired these gun for signals of distress, and to obtain help.

Word Forms

• distresses
• distressing
• distressed

Synonyms for distress

Depending on context, synonyms include extremity, anguish, rend, difficulty, grief, hardship.

Antonyms for distress

Common opposites include calmness, pleasure, eustress.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include worry, trouble, suffering, hurt, ill, distraint.

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