Transcription
-
- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
-
- [dih-stres]
- /dɪˈstrɛs/
- /dɪˈstres/
-
- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [dih-stres]
- /dɪˈstrɛs/
Definitions of distress word
- noun distress great pain, anxiety, or sorrow; acute physical or mental suffering; affliction; trouble. 1
- noun distress a state of extreme necessity or misfortune. 1
- noun distress the state of a ship or airplane requiring immediate assistance, as when on fire in transit. 1
- noun distress that which causes pain, suffering, trouble, danger, etc. 1
- noun distress liability or exposure to pain, suffering, trouble, etc.; danger: a damsel in distress. 1
- noun distress Law. the legal seizure and detention of the goods of another as security or satisfaction for debt, etc.; the act of distraining. the thing seized in distraining. 1
Information block about the term
Origin of distress
First appearance:
before 1250 One of the 11% oldest English words
1250-1300; (noun) Middle English destresse < Anglo-French distresse, destresse, Old French < Vulgar Latin *districtia, equivalent to Latin district(us) (see district) + -ia -y3; (v.) Middle English destressen < Anglo-French destresser (Old French destrecier), derivative of the noun
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Distress
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
distress popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 95% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".
distress usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for distress
noun distress
- irritation — the act of irritating or the state of being irritated.
- unhappiness — sad; miserable; wretched: Why is she so unhappy?
- shame — the painful feeling arising from the consciousness of something dishonorable, improper, ridiculous, etc., done by oneself or another: She was overcome with shame.
- pang — a sudden feeling of mental or emotional distress or longing: a pang of remorse; a pang of desire.
- affliction — An affliction is something which causes physical or mental suffering.
verb distress
- desolate — A desolate place is empty of people and lacking in comfort.
- afflict — If you are afflicted by pain, illness, or disaster, it affects you badly and makes you suffer.
- agonize — If you agonize over something, you feel very anxious about it and spend a long time thinking about it.
- wound — the act of winding.
- strap — a narrow strip of flexible material, especially leather, as for fastening or holding things together.
Antonyms for distress
noun distress
- happiness — the quality or state of being happy.
- joyfulness — full of joy, as a person or one's heart; glad; delighted.
- aid — Aid is money, equipment, or services that are provided for people, countries, or organizations who need them but cannot provide them for themselves.
- health — the general condition of the body or mind with reference to soundness and vigor: good health; poor health.
- relief — prominence, distinctness, or vividness due to contrast.
verb distress
- heal — to make healthy, whole, or sound; restore to health; free from ailment.
- appease — If you try to appease someone, you try to stop them from being angry by giving them what they want.
- placate — to appease or pacify, especially by concessions or conciliatory gestures: to placate an outraged citizenry.
- soothe — to tranquilize or calm, as a person or the feelings; relieve, comfort, or refresh: soothing someone's anger; to soothe someone with a hot drink.
- assuage — If you assuage an unpleasant feeling that someone has, you make them feel it less strongly.
Top questions with distress
- how to distress jeans?
- how to distress wood?
- how to distress furniture?
- what is acute respiratory distress syndrome?
- what does distress mean?
- what is distress?
- how to distress painted wood?
- how to distress paper?
- how to distress white painted wood?
- how to distress paint?
- how to distress clothing?
- how to distress t shirt?
- how to distress?
- what is respiratory distress?
- how to distress painted wood with sandpaper?
See also
Matching words
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