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
Relevance
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
as in to alarm
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
don't let all the bad news distress you
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
In certain subcategories — groceries, health care, housing — voters report acute distress.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 21 Jan. 2026
Ukrainian drone operators were reportedly distressed at having to kill horses, but have apparently adopted new tactics.
—David Hambling, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for distress
Noun
Lindsay Toczylowski, co-founder of the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, said her organization received a hotline call from a witness who reported seeing Ramos-Solano struggling to breathe and in visible distress.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
In certain subcategories — groceries, health care, housing — voters report acute distress.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
Mainstream medical groups support puberty blockers and hormonal treatment for children who are consistent in their transgender identity and distressed by the prospect of unmedicated puberty.
—Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 21 Jan. 2026
Ukrainian drone operators were reportedly distressed at having to kill horses, but have apparently adopted new tactics.
—David Hambling, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for distress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distress
Noun
-
The public markets’ agony may for the foreseeable future make assets less expensive, while AI urgency remains high.—
Allie Garfinkle,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
-
After walking for just a few minutes, their legs would painfully freeze up, as if turning to rock — an agony no doctor could explain.—
Alexandra Sifferlin,
STAT,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
So the San Francisco Bay Area resident went back to a family recipe and decided to take a risk, with a whisk.—
Itay Hod,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The notion of compliance as an interconnected system aligns with broader trends in risk management.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Critics are alarmed by its presence at the White House, saying the group promotes extreme views and undermines public schools.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
They will also be alarmed by the recent series of intelligence failures and leaks.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But some congregants’ anguish over October 7th was compounded by dread about Israel’s brutal, indiscriminate response.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Accenting the anguish by bizarre apparent coincidence, less than two weeks later the National Basketball Rules Committee reinstated the dunk — it had been banned for nearly a decade at the amateur level.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Israel, meanwhile, saw Nasser’s rising influence across the Arab world as a danger, and wanted an excuse to cut him down, and to target Palestinian fedayeen militants who were operating in Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula, which were both controlled by Egypt at the time.—
Ishaan Tharoor,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Although winds will be mostly light, between 5 and 10 mph, the dry air combined with very dry vegetation will result in a continuation of elevated fire danger.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
If the novel concerned only these elements—the clash of cultures in a small town, the thrill of the landscape beyond it—readers would still turn the last page with a fruitful, even nourishing, sense of disorientation.—
Stephanie Burt,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Issues concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to any principles of conflict of laws.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Bank, a New York surgeon who founded a clinic focused on post-mastectomy pain, said the pain is believed to be triggered by nerves that are severed during surgery and then left that way.—
Brett Kelman,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Falter said there was some lingering pain on Wednesday.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This promises investors dramatic upside, or the jeopardy of existential implosion, depending on their results on the field.—
Andrés Martinez,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
This is a city of unprecedented opportunity and jeopardy.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Distress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distress. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
