# distress

/dɪˈstɹɛs/ (US) · /dɪstɹˈɛs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/distress
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. emotional or physical pain

noun · CEFR B2

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

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

- The news of the accident caused great distress to the family.
- The patient showed signs of respiratory distress, requiring immediate intervention from the medical team on duty.

### 2. danger or emergency

noun · CEFR B2

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

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

- The ship sent out a distress signal after the engine failed in the storm.
- The coastguard received a distress call from a small fishing vessel that had lost power ten miles offshore.

### 3. to upset someone

verb · CEFR B2

to make someone feel very worried or upset.

For teachers: to cause someone to experience severe anxiety, sorrow, or pain.

- It distressed her to see the animals living in such poor conditions.
- The graphic images in the documentary may distress some viewers, so a warning was issued before the broadcast.

### 4. to make something look old

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

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

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

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

### 5. legal seizure of property

noun · CEFR C2 · Formal · Technical

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

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

- The landlord threatened a distress for rent if the tenant did not pay immediately.
- The historical right of distress allowed creditors to seize chattels as security until the outstanding arrears were satisfied.

## Examples

- The bad news caused her great distress.
- The coast guard received a distress signal from a fishing boat caught in the storm ten miles offshore.
- Psychologists distinguish between acute stress, which can be motivating, and chronic distress, which eventually erodes an individual's emotional resilience and physical health.

---

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.