distress

Strong feelings of pain, worry, fear, or sadness.

• She was in great distress.
• The news caused him considerable distress.
• We tried to comfort the child and ease her distress.

Similar words: suffering, anguish

Opposites: comfort, peace

Common phrases: emotional distress, great distress, cause distress

Something that causes strong pain, worry, or sadness.

• The debt was a constant distress.
• Her son's illness became her greatest distress.
• He wrote about the many distresses of his early life.

How to use it: a distress to someone (His long absence was a distress to his family.)

Similar words: trouble, affliction

Common phrases: a great distress, a constant distress, distress to someone

To make someone feel very worried, sad, or upset.

• The news distressed her.
• I did not mean to distress you.
• The sight of injured animals deeply distresses him.

Similar words: upset, trouble, afflict

Opposites: comfort, reassure

Common phrases: distress someone deeply, distress the family, distress someone greatly

A situation in which someone lacks money or cannot pay what they owe.

• The business is in financial distress.
• Rising debts pushed the family into financial distress.
• The bank offered help to borrowers experiencing financial distress.

How to use it: be in financial distress (The company is in financial distress after losing its largest customer.)

Similar words: financial hardship, financial difficulty

Opposites: prosperity

Common phrases: financial distress, economic distress, in financial distress

To be in serious danger and need help.

• The ship was in distress.
• A pilot sent a distress call before landing.
• Rescuers searched for sailors in distress.

How to use it: be in distress (The fishing boat was in distress during the storm.)

Similar words: be in danger, be in trouble

Opposites: be safe

Common phrases: in distress, distress signal, distress call

To deliberately make something new look old, worn, or damaged.

• They distressed the new table.
• Use sandpaper to distress the painted edges.
• She distresses denim to give it a worn look.

Similar words: age, weather

Common phrases: distress the wood, distress the surface, distress your jeans, distress the furniture