distress
[noun]
Synonyms:
- worry, grief, heartache, misery, pain, sorrow, suffering, torment, wretchedness
- need, adversity, difficulties, hardship, misfortune, poverty, privation, trouble
[verb]
Synonyms:
- upset, disturb, grieve, harass, sadden, torment, trouble, worry

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Contrasted words: comfort, comforting, consolation, solace, solacing, allaying, alleviation, assuagement, ease, relief, relieving, peace, security, allay, alleviate, assuage, lighten, mitigate, relieve, console, aid, assist, help
Related Words: affliction, cross, trial, tribulation, visitation, anguish, grief, heartbreak, sorrow, woe, exigency, pass, pinch, strait, difficulty, hardship, rigor, vicissitude, ache, pain, pang, throe, twinge, afflict, rack, torment, torture, harass, strain, stress, try, trouble, depress, oppress, weigh, annoy, harry, pester, plague

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. dis‧tress¹ /dɪˈstres/ noun [uncountable]
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: destresse, from Latin districtus, past participle of distringere 'to pull apart, prevent from acting or leaving']

1. a feeling of extreme unhappiness:
Luke’s behaviour caused his parents great distress.
in distress
The girl was crying and clearly in distress.

2. suffering and problems caused by a lack of money, food etc:
acute financial distress
in distress
charities that aid families in distress

3. formal great physical pain

4. a situation when a ship, aircraft etc is in danger and needs help:
We picked up a distress signal 6 km away.
in distress
The ship is in distress.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. distress² verb [transitive]
to make someone feel very upset:
The dream had distressed her greatly.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

distress
noun
ADJ. acute, considerable, deep, extreme, great, immense, severe | genuine, real | obvious | unnecessary | emotional, mental, personal, physical, psychological the physical distress of thirst and hunger the personal distress associated with unemployment
economic, financial, social The causes of social distress include inadequate housing.
VERB + DISTRESS cause (sb) | feel, suffer the distress that she felt when her parents argued The animals suffer great pain and distress when hunted.
show (signs of) She seemed calm and showed no signs of distress.
conceal He tried to conceal his distress, but the tremor in his voice was unmistakable.
avoid | alleviate, ease, relieve
DISTRESS + NOUN call, signal The sinking ship sent out a distress call.
PREP. in ~ The child was clearly in distress. a ship in distress
to sb's ~ He dropped out of college, to his family's distress.
~ at her obvious distress at hearing such bad news
~ over The president issued a statement expressing her distress over the affair.
PHRASES a damsel in distress medieval ballads about a knight saving a damsel in distress
a source of distress Grief over ageing is a source of distress to men and women.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲