distress

/dəˈstrɛs/

/dɪˈstrɛs/

Other forms: distressed; distressing; distresses

If you are in distress, you are in trouble. You're hurting — either physically or mentally.

See the word stress hanging out at the end of distress? There's a good reason for that. The noun distress refers to a state of severe anxiety or strain, often brought about by failing to study for an exam, harassing grizzly bears, or borrowing your sister's clothes without asking. When used as a verb, to distress means to cause all that pain, suffering and anxiety — in other words, to stress somebody out.

Definitions of distress

1. noun

   a state of adversity (danger or affliction or need)
   “a ship in distress”

   “she was the classic maiden in distress”

   types:

   anguish

   extreme distress of body or mind

   pressure

   an oppressive condition of physical or mental or social or economic distress

   throe

   hard or painful trouble or struggle

   type of:

   adversity, hard knocks, hardship

   a state of misfortune or affliction
2. noun

   psychological suffering
   “the death of his wife caused him great distress”

   synonyms: hurt, suffering

   types:

   anguish, torment, torture

   extreme mental distress

   self-torment, self-torture

   self-imposed distress

   tsoris

   (Yiddish) trouble and suffering

   wound

   a figurative injury (to your feelings or pride)

   type of:

   pain, painfulness

   emotional distress; a fundamental feeling that people try to avoid
3. noun

   extreme physical pain
   “the patient appeared to be in distress”

   type of:

   hurting, pain

   a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder
4. noun

   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”

   synonyms: distraint

   type of:

   seizure

   the taking possession of something by legal process
5. verb

   bring into difficulties or distress, especially financial hardship
   synonyms: straiten

   type of:

   bother, discommode, disoblige, incommode, inconvenience, put out, trouble

   cause inconvenience or discomfort to
6. verb

   cause mental pain to
   “The news of her child's illness distressed the mother”

   types:

   besiege

   cause to feel distressed or worried

   type of:

   disturb, trouble, upset

   move deeply