distressed 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of distressednext
1
as in troubled

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in depressed

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Dissimilar Words

distressed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of distress
as in alarmed
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 distressed
Adjective
Pre-distressed holes reveal different swatches underneath, and the soles come looking scruffy just like on numerous hits from Vans over the past year or so. — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026 The Utility Account provides grants to local governments in the state’s 80 most economically distressed counties, which are designated as Tier 1 or Tier 2. — Charlotte Observer, 29 Sep. 2026
Verb
Jeffrey Tam, a lawyer for nine residents of the Wang Fuk Court, noted some residents decided to give evidence despite being distressed by the tragedy. — ABC News, 17 July 2026 The judges looked on in horror, with Mel B visibly distressed over the fate of her keepsake. — Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for distressed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distressed
  1. troubled
  2. depressed
  3. alarmed
  4. agitated
  5. reduced
  6. disturbed
  7. ruined
  8. distracted
Adjective
  • Morales recalled overhearing Ramirez on the phone in January confiding in someone about her troubled relationship.
    — Theodore Parisienne, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Still, the concern extends beyond political disagreement for the anonymous worker who left the troubled Livingston production behind.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of troubled
Adjective
  • In other words, support for white nationalism was higher among people living in more distressed or economically depressed places.
    — James Bisbee, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2026
  • My idea of Sweden was based entirely on Scandi-noir dramas, all bleak landscapes, depressed people and woolly jumpers.
    — Natasha Langan, TheWeek, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of depressed
Verb
  • Ayesha Bell Hardaway, a former prosecutor who is a professor of law at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, is alarmed by the dramatic variation across the country.
    — Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026
  • In voicemails played in court, they were alarmed by not hearing from Machado and her daughters, Julia and Daniela.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of alarmed
Adjective
  • Altercations between agitated people with dementia and other residents or workers charged with caring for them are disturbingly common in long-term care facilities and private homes.
    — Jordan Rau, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Migratory birds in captivity develop Zugunruhe, an agitated fitfulness, at certain times of year.
    — Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of agitated
Adjective
  • If a community decides the potential benefits of such a project (jobs and reduced taxes, for example) outweigh its costs, the municipality should be able to move forward.
    — Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Backers of the measure say the parks department provides an essential safety net for the city’s low-income residents, offering summer camps, sports activities and senior programs for free or at reduced prices.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of reduced
Verb
  • People, wildlife and domestic animals get valley fever when the soil in these burrows is disturbed, by a dog digging, a kick of the boot, a shovel, construction equipment, wind or wildfire.
    — Susanne Rust Follow, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Clean Regularly Spiders don’t like to be disturbed, so an unused area of your porch is likely to be attractive real estate.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of disturbed
Adjective
  • Sitting on the rim of his consciousness was always cataclysm, the muted whisper of a ruined world.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
Definition of ruined
Verb
  • And not be distracted by whether or not Ed Sheeran is crying today or crying tomorrow.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026
  • But she, and New York Times journalists observing the raid, were soon distracted by a group of cockroaches scurrying past an oil canister.
    — Zishaan a Latif, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of distracted

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Cite this Entry

“Distressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distressed. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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