How to Use distraught in a Sentence

distraught

adjective
  • She was distraught over the death of her partner.
  • Distraught relatives are waiting for news of the missing children.
  • The bride was left distraught and in tears.
    — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
  • One fan turned up to my house, distraught, wringing his hands.
    — Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 11 May 2025
  • Her mother, so distraught by the loss of her child, ends her own life.
    — Katie Bowlby, Country Living, 5 Feb. 2023
  • Her son was too distraught to speak on Sunday.
    — Theodore Parisienne, New York Daily News, 20 June 2026
  • Her son was too distraught to speak on Sunday.
    — Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 22 June 2026
  • Bailey said her son was too distraught to talk to a reporter.
    — Glenn E. Rice, kansascity, 6 July 2018
  • Fans were distraught last year when rumor spread that the two were beefing.
    — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 12 Feb. 2025
  • No nori would grow off the coast of Japan, and farmers were distraught.
    — Esther Inglis-Arkell, Ars Technica, 19 Nov. 2017
  • The campus phone line rang with calls from distraught parents.
    — Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
  • Manzo broke free and, distraught, went to the bathroom to wash her hands.
    — Kate Aurthur, Variety, 26 Jan. 2024
  • There was a lot of blood on the floor, but besides that, the owner was distraught.
    — Jordan Freiman, CBS News, 18 June 2023
  • Olvera was distraught about her 11-year-old daughter's friends.
    — Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American-Statesman, 31 Oct. 2024
  • Maddie is shocked and distraught when Kyle is pulled out of Ty's car.
    — Alamin Yohannes, EW.com, 4 Feb. 2022
  • Or the distraught girlfriend of the man who would and does risk everything.
    — Molly Horan, Glamour, 19 Jan. 2018
  • Police said Selis was distraught over a breakup with a girlfriend .
    — Debbi Baker, sandiegouniontribune.com, 2 May 2017
  • To the shock and horror of all, the distraught knight impales himself on his sword.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 24 June 2024
  • Sometimes distraught kids or outsiders come to school with a gun and shoot students.
    — Annie Proulx, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2025
  • Jenny, distraught over her husband's arrest, was ready to leave with him.
    — Ashley Grams, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
  • The neighbor screamed and became distraught over the encounter.
    — Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2024
  • His election in 2016 had her distraught.
    — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Brayan Rayo Garzon was distraught.
    — CBS News, 27 May 2026
  • That’s a lot of people, plus their distraught families.
    — Jim Nowlan, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
  • Some Palestinians in Gaza have been left distraught by the ban.
    — Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 29 May 2025
  • The 6-3, 6-0 loss in singles left her distraught.
    — Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Was Colter distraught enough to commit murder?
    — Demetrius Patterson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
  • The creature kills Billy in front of a distraught Max.
    — Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 19 Nov. 2025
  • Both the president and the first lady were distraught over their son’s sickness and death.
    — James Powel, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
  • When their newborn failed a hearing test, Quinn and Kai were distraught.
    — Kristina Bernhardt, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2020

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'distraught.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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