distress en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /dɪˈstɹɛs/
Etymology
The verb is from Middle English distressen, from Old French destrecier (“to restrain, constrain, put in straits, afflict, distress”); compare French détresse. Ultimately from Medieval Latin as if *districtiō, an assumed frequentative form of Latin distringō (“to pull asunder, stretch out”), from dis- (“apart”) + stringō (“to draw tight, strain”). The noun is from Middle English distresse, from Old French destrece, ultimately also from Latin distringō.
Meanings
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(countable, uncountable) Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.
At any other time Jessamy would have laughed at the expressions that chased each other over his freckled face: crossness left over from his struggle with the baby; incredulity; distress; and finally delight.
1967, Barbara Sleigh, Jessamy, Sevenoaks, Kent: Bloomsbury, published 1993, →ISBN, page 122:To heighten his distress, he is approached by his wife, and bitterly upbraided for his perfidy in concealing from her his former connexions (with that unhappy girl who is here present with her child, the innocent offspring of her amours, fainting at the sight of his misfortunes, being unable to relieve him farther), and plunging her into those difficulties she never shall be able to surmount.
1833, John Trusler, chapter 8, in The Works of William Hogarth: In a Series of Engravings, archived from the original on 04 Nov 2011:
- (countable, uncountable) A cause of such discomfort.
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(countable, uncountable) Serious danger.
a ship in distress
At length they perceived a little cottage; two persons in the decline of life dwelt in this desert, who were always ready to give every assistance in their power to their fellow-creatures in distress.
1759, Voltaire, chapter 42, in Candide, archived from the original on 17 Mar 2011:I immediately considered that this must be some ship in distress, and that they had some comrade, or some other ship in company, and fired these gun for signals of distress, and to obtain help.
1719, Daniel Defoe, chapter 13, in Robinson Crusoe, archived from the original on 15 Apr 2012:
- (countable, uncountable) An aversive state of stress to which a person cannot fully adapt.
- (countable, uncountable) A seizing of property without legal process to force payment of a debt.
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(countable, uncountable) The thing taken by distraining; that which is seized to procure satisfaction.
If he were not paid, he would straight go and take a distress of goods and cattle.
1596 (date written; published 1633), Edmund Spenser, A Vewe of the Present State of Irelande […], Dublin: […] Societie of Stationers, […], →OCLC; republished as A View of the State of Ireland […] (Ancient Irish Histories), Dublin: […] Society of Stationers, […] Hibernia Press, […] [b]y John Morrison, 1809, →OCLC:The distress thus taken must be proportioned to the thing distrained for.
1765–1769, William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England, (please specify |book=I to IV), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press, →OCLC:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| distresses | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Antonyms
eustress · calmness · pleasure
Deriveds
distress-warrant · distressful · distress signal · distressless · distress call · predistress · distressee · distress merchandise · postdistress · distress sale · distresser · damsel in distress · respiratory distress · moral distress · distress purchase · infant respiratory distress syndrome · abuse of distress
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
humiliation · fear · sorrow · terror · anxiety · misery
Relateds
district · offend · vex · distrain
Synonyms
extremity · grief · vexation · rend · torment · ruth · woe · trouble · anguish · undelight · peril · peril · distress · menace · jeopardy · difficulty · torment · threat · extremity · hazard · wrong · harm's way · misery · sorrow · aggrievance · danger · anguish · sadness · torture · jeopardy · hardship · hardship · distress · affliction · grievance · grief · sorrow · adventure · pain · hardship · distress · smart
Translations (171)
mi mōrearea (serious danger) · de Unbehagen ((cause of) discomfort) · ga crá ((cause of) discomfort) · el συμφορά ((cause of) discomfort) · pl zagrożenie (serious danger) · es distrés (Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.) · no nødsituasjon (serious danger) · sa क्लेश ((cause of) discomfort) · hu bánat ((cause of) discomfort) · grc ἄχος ((cause of) discomfort) · zdj mswiɓa ((cause of) discomfort) · mk стра́дање (Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.) · fr détresse ((cause of) discomfort) · de Seenot (serious danger) · sv bekymmer ((cause of) discomfort) · ru несча́стье ((cause of) discomfort) · gd airc ((cause of) discomfort) · uk страждання ((cause of) discomfort) · da nødsituation (serious danger) · bg беда (serious danger) · kk дистресс (medicine, psychology: state of maladaptive stress) · got 𐌰𐌲𐌲𐍅𐌹𐌸𐌰 ((cause of) discomfort) · tr kaygı (Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.) · grc συνοχή ((cause of) discomfort) · hi आपदा (serious danger) · id distres (serious danger) · hu szorultság (serious danger) · uk горе ((cause of) discomfort) · mi pāpōuri ((cause of) discomfort) · ota اضطراب (Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.) · hi तनाव (medicine, psychology: state of maladaptive stress) · eo angoro ((cause of) discomfort) · sv obehag ((cause of) discomfort) · hi तनाव ((cause of) discomfort) · es desasosiego ((cause of) discomfort) · es distrés (medicine, psychology: state of maladaptive stress) · is óþægindi ((cause of) discomfort) · nl druk ((cause of) discomfort) · mk бо́лка (Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.) · hu lefoglalás (law: a seizing of property without legal process to force payment of a debt) · fi tuska ((cause of) discomfort) · de Bekümmerung ((cause of) discomfort) · mi auhitanga ((cause of) discomfort) · grc ἀνία ((cause of) discomfort) · fi ulosotto (law: a seizing of property without legal process to force payment of a debt) · hu szorult helyzet (serious danger) · ckb بێچارەیی ((cause of) discomfort) · sv ledsamhet ((cause of) discomfort) · sa दुःख ((cause of) discomfort) · tr bun ((cause of) discomfort) · it sconforto ((cause of) discomfort) · tr ızdırap ((cause of) discomfort) · el συντριβή ((cause of) discomfort) · sh distres ((cause of) discomfort) · hu zár alá vétel (law: a seizing of property without legal process to force payment of a debt) · mk бе́да ((cause of) discomfort) · tr cendere ((cause of) discomfort) · mi āwangawanga ((cause of) discomfort) · no ubehag ((cause of) discomfort) · eo ĉagreno (Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.) · de Kummer ((cause of) discomfort) · fi distressi (medicine, psychology: state of maladaptive stress) · sh muka ((cause of) discomfort) · hu végrehajtás (law: a seizing of property without legal process to force payment of a debt) · de Bedrängnis ((cause of) discomfort) · ro pericol (serious danger) · hi विपत्ति (serious danger) · ga angar ((cause of) discomfort) · pl dystres (medicine, psychology: state of maladaptive stress) · is vá (serious danger) · sa शोक ((cause of) discomfort) · mi hūhi (Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.) · pt perigo (serious danger) · fi merihätä (serious danger) · it pena ((cause of) discomfort) · da ubehag ((cause of) discomfort) · fr détresse (serious danger) · nl stress ((cause of) discomfort) · bg бедствие (serious danger) · ota شدت ((cause of) discomfort) · de Bekümmernis ((cause of) discomfort) · hi दुख ((cause of) discomfort) · ca aflicció ((cause of) discomfort) · de Drangsal ((cause of) discomfort) · de Notlage ((cause of) discomfort) · ckb شڕ (serious danger) · txb ñyātse (serious danger) · ckb دڵ تەنگی ((cause of) discomfort) · de Unbehagen (Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.) · de Bergnot (serious danger) · mi uhitea ((cause of) discomfort) · hu zálogolás (law: a seizing of property without legal process to force payment of a debt) · it difficoltà (serious danger) · es distress (medicine, psychology: state of maladaptive stress) · tr sıkıntı ((cause of) discomfort) · ota قلق (Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.) · uk загроза (serious danger) · hu bú ((cause of) discomfort) · tr bun (Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.) · hu szükség (serious danger) · hu baj (serious danger) · is stórhætta (serious danger) · sw dhiki ((cause of) discomfort) · ar مِحْنَة ((cause of) discomfort) · id gawat (serious danger) · de Not (serious danger) · de Verzweiflung (Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.) · mi auhi ((cause of) discomfort) · de Not (Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.) · ru беда́ ((cause of) discomfort) · ro suferință ((cause of) discomfort) · el κίνδυνος (serious danger) · el απελπισία ((cause of) discomfort) · ru беда́ (serious danger) · de Notlage (serious danger) · tr sıkıntı (Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.) · izh vaiva ((cause of) discomfort) · grc στενοχωρία ((cause of) discomfort) · hu gyötrelem ((cause of) discomfort) · hi संकट (serious danger) · es distress (Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.) · tr mihnet ((cause of) discomfort) · de Kummer (Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.) · hu ínség (serious danger) · bg запор (law: a seizing of property without legal process to force payment of a debt) · cmn 惡性應激 /恶性应激 (medicine, psychology: state of maladaptive stress) · de Elend (Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.) · mk о́пасност (serious danger) · ca angoixa ((cause of) discomfort) · fi hätä (serious danger) · mi māteatea ((cause of) discomfort) · cmn 扣押 (law: a seizing of property without legal process to force payment of a debt) · sv nödsituation (serious danger) · hu vész (serious danger) · ms distres (law: a seizing of property without legal process to force payment of a debt) · ro primejdie (serious danger) · pt desconforto ((cause of) discomfort) · it miseria ((cause of) discomfort) · izh hätä (serious danger) · el αγωνία ((cause of) discomfort) · ja 不快ストレス (medicine, psychology: state of maladaptive stress) · he מוּעָקָה ((cause of) discomfort) · sa आपद् ((cause of) discomfort) · mi ngaukino (medicine, psychology: state of maladaptive stress) · de Bedrängnis (Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.) · de maladaptive Coping (medicine, psychology: state of maladaptive stress) · de Notfall (serious danger) · hu szorongattatás (serious danger) · mk ма́ка ((cause of) discomfort) · tr kaygı ((cause of) discomfort) · uk небезпека (serious danger) · sv nödläge (serious danger) · hu distressz (medicine, psychology: state of maladaptive stress) · ko 디스트레스 (medicine, psychology: state of maladaptive stress) · ru бе́дствие (serious danger) · ca angúnia ((cause of) discomfort) · la aerumna ((cause of) discomfort) · it pericolo (serious danger) · id distres (medicine, psychology: state of maladaptive stress) · fr détresse (medicine, psychology: state of maladaptive stress) · it angoscia ((cause of) discomfort) · got 𐌸𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍃𐌻 ((cause of) discomfort) · mi ahotea ((cause of) discomfort) · hu búbánat ((cause of) discomfort) · hu megszorultság (serious danger) · uk лихо ((cause of) discomfort) · pl niebezpieczeństwo (serious danger) · de Notfall ((cause of) discomfort) · es sinvivir ((cause of) discomfort) · ru го́ре ((cause of) discomfort) · fi ahdinko ((cause of) discomfort)