distressed

1 of 2

adjective

dis·​tressed di-ˈstrest How to pronounce distressed (audio)
Synonyms of distressednext
: of, relating to, or experiencing economic decline or difficulty
federal grants for distressed cities

distressed

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of distress entry 2

Examples of distressed in a Sentence

Adjective She felt emotionally and physically distressed. The government provided funds to the economically distressed city. Donations were given to financially distressed families.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
On the flip side, a distressed barn wood frame gives off an organic, Craftsman-style vibe in a warm walnut tone. — Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 25 Aug. 2026 According to her children, Simmons was last heard from on May 19, and her daughter said that her mother apparently sounded distressed at the time. — David Chiu, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026 There are also distressed zombies, and those that are just surviving, but the general definition of a zombie is clear, Kyle Walters, PitchBook’s private equity analyst, told Fortune. — Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026 The company also says distressed callers got their calls answered up to 40 seconds faster on average. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for distressed

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1613, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of distressed was in 1613

Rhymes for distressed

See All Rhymes for distressed

Browse Nearby Words

distress call
distressed
distressful
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Distressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/distressed. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for distressed

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