distress 1 of 2

noun

di-ˈstres How to pronounce distress (audio)
Definition of distressnext
1
as in agony
a state of great suffering of body or mind the upcoming bar exam is causing us considerable distress the survivors were in extreme distress after having been stranded on the island for a week with no food

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in risk
the state of not being protected from injury, harm, or evil a ship in distress

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

distress

2 of 2

verb

as in to alarm
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy don't let all the bad news distress you

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun distress differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of distress are agony, misery, and suffering. While all these words mean "the state of being in great trouble," distress implies an external and usually temporary cause of great physical or mental strain and stress.

the hurricane put everyone in great distress

When might agony be a better fit than distress?

In some situations, the words agony and distress are roughly equivalent. However, agony suggests pain too intense to be borne.

in agony over the death of their child

When is misery a more appropriate choice than distress?

While in some cases nearly identical to distress, misery stresses the unhappiness attending especially sickness, poverty, or loss.

the homeless live with misery every day

When could suffering be used to replace distress?

The synonyms suffering and distress are sometimes interchangeable, but suffering implies conscious endurance of pain or distress.

the suffering of famine victims

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of distress
Noun
As prisoners started to show evident signs of distress early on, some relatives who were allowed to visit expressed the intention of contacting lawyers to stop the study. — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026 Jane Doe is seeking damages for physical injuries, emotional distress and ongoing psychological harm, according to her attorneys. — ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
Verb
Changes To Leaves Or Bark Yellow, browning, or dropping leaves outside of the fall season can mean a tree is distressed from drought, pests, disease, or lack of nutrients. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 9 Aug. 2026 Because the posters ran in untargeted locations, including on the London Underground and at a site visible from a children’s nursery, the regulator concluded the imagery was likely to distress young children who saw it. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for distress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distress
  1. agony
  2. risk
  3. alarm
  4. anguish
  5. danger
  6. concern
  7. pain
  8. jeopardy
Noun
  • The prisoner in question, Doug Korpi, had also admitted that his agony was an act to journalist Ben Blum, who included the revelation in a broader takedown of the experiment published in 2018.
    — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The daughters of burning witches were sometimes made to stand close to the pyre, being whipped by locals while watching their mothers die in agony.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of agony
Noun
  • The spread over Germany's 10-year Bunds peaked at more than 177 basis points a day later, amid concerns about spillover risks elsewhere in Europe.
    — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The album’s greatest risk is that its devotion becomes indistinguishable from its own self-importance.
    — Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of risk
Verb
  • That move sparked enormous street protests in Israel, and alarmed many Israeli citizens overseas.
    — Daniel Brook, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The new company has nearly $80 billion in debt, with leverage of six-and-a-half times trailing earnings, a ratio that has alarmed investors and triggered credit rating downgrades.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of alarm
Noun
  • In a masterful unbroken shot, Klaus is on the phone from France with his sister, expressing his bottomless anguish.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Polly, by contrast, reads the manuscript and is immediately filled with anguish and all-consuming fury.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of anguish
Noun
  • Earlier this week, missiles fired by the Houthis struck a residential area in Taiz, killing two teenage girls and renewing attention on the dangers faced by civilians.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Gigantic Fantastic also explores the development of steroids themselves, their physiological effects, as well as other image and performance-enhancing drugs and their dangers.
    — Gavin Francis, The New York Review of Books, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of danger
Verb
  • Andriesz’s death comes four months after the BBC aired a news documentary featuring him and his allegations concerning Lutnick’s ties to Epstein.
    — Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
  • This can be particularly concerning for people dealing with stalking, harassment or threats.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of concern
Noun
  • People with large or overactive chewing muscles, often from clenching or grinding, who want to soften a bulky lower-face look or ease jaw pain.
    — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Cayenne pepper contains capsaicin, which may lower inflammation and pain.
    — Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of pain
Noun
  • Deadline first revealed last month that BBC Three, the youth network that has given rise to beloved British series including Fleabag and Gavin & Stacey, was in serious jeopardy.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Yet decisions that could contribute to anything from an individual suicide to large-scale cyberattacks and geopolitical destabilization are made without personal legal jeopardy.
    — Giorgos Tsetis, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of jeopardy

Browse Nearby Words

distraught
distress
distressed
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Cite this Entry

“Distress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distress. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on distress

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about distress

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