distress
Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.
Noun 4 meanings
Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.
A cause of such discomfort.
Serious danger.
“a ship in distress”
An aversive state of stress to which a person cannot fully adapt.
Verb 3 meanings
To cause strain or anxiety to someone.
To retain someone’s property against the payment of a debt; to distrain.
To treat a new object to give it an appearance of age.
“a pair of distressed jeans”
Etymology
The verb is from Middle English distressen, from Old French destrecier (“to restrain, constrain, put in straits, afflict, distress”); compare French détresse.
Similar and opposite words
DISTRESS at a glance
DISTRESS has 8 letters and scores 9 points in Scrabble (D 2 + I 1 + S 1 + T 1 + R 1 + E 1 + S 1 + S 1) and 9 in Words With Friends, before board bonuses. It ranks #7,558 by how often it appears in everyday English. It is valid in ENABLE, NWL2023, Collins/SOWPODS.
Rhymes with distress
All rhymesOne letter away
- MISTRESS10
- DESTRESS9
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