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distress

n. · v.
US //dɪˈstɹɛs// UK //dɪstɹˈɛs// dis·tress
  1. 1 emotional or physical pain (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a feeling of great worry, sadness, or physical pain.

    acute physical or mental suffering; a state of extreme sorrow or pain.

    Example

    The news of the accident caused great distress to the family.

    Example

    The patient showed signs of respiratory distress, requiring immediate intervention from the medical team on duty.
  2. 2 danger or emergency (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a situation where a ship, aircraft, or person is in serious danger and needs help.

    a state of extreme necessity or misfortune; a condition of being in danger and in need of urgent assistance.

    Example

    The ship sent out a distress signal after the engine failed in the storm.

    Example

    The coastguard received a distress call from a small fishing vessel that had lost power ten miles offshore.
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  1. 3 to upset someone (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to make someone feel very worried or upset.

    to cause someone to experience severe anxiety, sorrow, or pain.

    Example

    It distressed her to see the animals living in such poor conditions.

    Example

    The graphic images in the documentary may distress some viewers, so a warning was issued before the broadcast.
  2. 4 to make something look old (v.)
    C1 Advanced Technical

    to treat a new object, like furniture or clothes, so that it looks old or used.

    to intentionally age or weather an object to give it a vintage or antique appearance.

    Example

    She used sandpaper to distress the edges of the new wooden picture frame.

    Example

    The costume designer had to distress the new leather jackets to make the gang members look like they had lived on the streets for years.
  3. 5 legal seizure of property (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Formal Technical Law

    the legal act of taking someone's property because they owe money.

    the seizure of a person's property without legal process to compel the payment of a debt.

    Example

    The landlord threatened a distress for rent if the tenant did not pay immediately.

    Example

    The historical right of distress allowed creditors to seize chattels as security until the outstanding arrears were satisfied.
Origin

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.

Idioms1 entry

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