English Explanatory Dictionary

distress

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.
  2. A cause of such discomfort.
  3. Serious danger.
  4. An aversive state of stress to which a person cannot fully adapt.
  5. A seizing of property without legal process to force payment of a debt.
  6. The thing taken by distraining; that which is seized to procure satisfaction.
verb
  1. To cause strain or anxiety to someone.
  2. To retain someone’s property against the payment of a debt; to distrain.
  3. To treat a new object to give it an appearance of age.

Pronunciation

/dɪˈstɹɛs/ en-us-distress.ogg

Word forms

distress distresses distressing distressed

Etymology

The verb is from Middle English distressen, from Old French destrecier (“to restrain, constrain, put in straits, afflict, distress”); compare French détresse. Ultimately from Medieval Latin as if *districtiō, an assumed frequentative form of Latin distringō (“to pull asunder, stretch out”), from dis- (“apart”) + stringō (“to draw tight, strain”). The noun is from Middle English distresse, from Old French destrece, ultimately also from Latin distringō.

Synonyms

extremity anguish rend difficulty distress grief hardship pain smart torment torture trouble sorrow affliction aggrievance grievance misery ruth sadness undelight vexation woe wrong jeopardy peril adventure danger harm's way threat menace hazard harrow vex tantalize tantalise martyr wring gnaw afflict aggrieve plague atray cag engrieve grame harass harry distrain age antique patinate

Antonyms

calmness pleasure eustress

Related words

distrain district offend vex

Derived words

abuse of distress damsel in distress distressee distresser distressful distressless distress merchandise distress purchase distress sale distress signal infant respiratory distress syndrome moral distress postdistress predistress respiratory distress undistress
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