# distraught

/dɪˈstɹɔt/ (US) · /dɪstɹˈɔːt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/distraught
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 2. mentally unstable

adjective · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

an old-fashioned way to describe someone who has lost their mind or is acting crazy.

For teachers: mentally deranged or insane; this sense is largely obsolete in modern clinical contexts but survives in historical literature.

- In the old story, the king became distraught after losing his kingdom.
- The protagonist's descent into a distraught state of mind serves as a central theme in the nineteenth-century gothic novel.

Usage: In modern English, this sense has been replaced by 'distressed' or 'upset' for emotion, and clinical terms for mental health.

## Examples

- The distraught mother searched the park for her lost child.
- Family members were too distraught to speak to the press immediately after the accident.
- The witness was so distraught by the events she had seen that the judge granted a short recess to allow her to regain her composure.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.