noun
distress
dih-STREHS
noun
1
Serious pain, suffering, or worry, especially of an urgent kind.
"The medics rushed to treat the patient in respiratory distress."
"Her voice was full of distress on the phone."
verb
1
To cause someone anxiety, pain, or worry.
"The graphic footage distressed many viewers."
How to Use Distress
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSerious suffering or worry, or the act of causing it.
Common pairings
signs of distress
in distress
cause distress
Word Forms
distressed past tense, distresses plural, distresses singular
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The medics rushed to treat the patient in respiratory _____.
Etymology
From Old French destrecier, "to restrain or afflict," ultimately from Latin distringere, "to pull apart" or "stretch tight" — the same root behind district and strain.