Standard Lemma guide

distressed

adj · verb · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /dɪˈstɹɛst/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛst
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 S T R EH1 S T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Anxious or uneasy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • She is distressed because she can't find her keys.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: distraught, heartsore, pained, unglued, agonised/agonized, tormented, tortured

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Damaged.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Offered for sale after foreclosure.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Faded or abused in order to appear old, or antique.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Experiencing financial or operational distress, default, or bankruptcy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, finance

Examples

  • distressed debt

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

simple past and past participle of distress

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, participle, past

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective

Meaning 7

generalized feeling of distress

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dysphoric, unhappy

Antonyms: none provided

8

adjective satellite

Meaning 8

afflicted with or marked by anxious uneasiness or trouble or grief

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • too upset to say anything
  • spent many disquieted moments
  • distressed about her son's leaving home
  • lapsed into disturbed sleep
  • worried parents
  • a worried frown
  • one last worried check of the sleeping children

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: disquieted, disturbed, upset, worried

Antonyms: none provided

9

adjective satellite

Meaning 9

facing or experiencing financial trouble or difficulty

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • distressed companies need loans and technical advice
  • financially hard-pressed Mexican hotels are lowering their prices
  • we were hard put to meet the mortgage payment
  • found themselves in a bad way financially

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hard-pressed, hard put, in a bad way(p)

Antonyms: none provided

10

adjective satellite

Meaning 10

suffering severe physical strain or distress

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he dropped out of the race, clearly distressed and having difficulty breathing

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: stressed

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

39 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: изтормозен (iztormozen) — anxious or uneasy
  • Chinese Mandarin: 苦惱的 /苦恼的 — anxious or uneasy
  • Chinese Mandarin: 苦恼的 (kǔnǎo de) — anxious or uneasy
  • Chinese Mandarin: 哀伤的 (āishāng de) — anxious or uneasy
  • Finnish: huolestunut — anxious or uneasy
  • Finnish: levoton — anxious or uneasy
  • French: en détresse — anxious or uneasy
  • French: accablé — anxious or uneasy
  • German: beunruhigt — anxious or uneasy
  • Hindi: खिन्न (khinn) — anxious or uneasy
  • Hindi: संतप्त (santapt) — anxious or uneasy
  • Iban: ibur — anxious or uneasy
  • Irish: anacrach — anxious or uneasy
  • Irish: angarach — anxious or uneasy
  • Central Kurdish: چەوساو (çewsaw) — anxious or uneasy
  • Māori: mamate — anxious or uneasy
  • Māori: pōkeka — anxious or uneasy
  • Māori: māngi — anxious or uneasy
  • Māori: pāpōuri — anxious or uneasy
  • Old Norse: ǫngværr — anxious or uneasy
  • Sanskrit: खिन्न (khinna) — anxious or uneasy
  • Spanish: temeroso — anxious or uneasy
  • Spanish: atribulado — anxious or uneasy
  • Swedish: orolig — anxious or uneasy
  • Swedish: bedrövad — anxious or uneasy
  • Turkish: sıkıntılı — anxious or uneasy
  • Finnish: vahingoittunut — damaged
  • Central Kurdish: چەوساو (çewsaw) — damaged
  • Spanish: dañado — damaged
  • Swedish: skadad — damaged
  • Swedish: förstörd — damaged
  • Bulgarian: запориран (zaporiran) — offered for sale after foreclosure
  • Finnish: loppuunmyynti- — offered for sale after foreclosure
  • Spanish: rematado — offered for sale after foreclosure
  • Spanish: subastado — offered for sale after foreclosure
  • Finnish: vanhennettu — faded or abused in order to appear old, or antique
  • Spanish: gastado — faded or abused in order to appear old, or antique
  • Spanish: maltratado — faded or abused in order to appear old, or antique
  • Spanish: deslucido — faded or abused in order to appear old, or antique
Real reading context

distressed in complete knowledge articles

Edmund Larken Language & communication · Challenging · 1 uses The Yellow Dwarf Literature & books · Accessible · 1 uses