Related Searches
on Ask.com
Synonyms
distress - 9 dictionary results
dis⋅tress
[di-stres]
–noun
| 1. | great pain, anxiety, or sorrow; acute physical or mental suffering; affliction; trouble. |
| 2. | a state of extreme necessity or misfortune. |
| 3. | the state of a ship or airplane requiring immediate assistance, as when on fire in transit. |
| 4. | that which causes pain, suffering, trouble, danger, etc. |
| 5. | liability or exposure to pain, suffering, trouble, etc.; danger: a damsel in distress. |
| 6. | Law.
|
| 7. | to dent, scratch, or stain (furniture, lumber, or the like) so as to give an appearance of age. |
–adjective
| 8. | afflicted with or suffering distress: distress livestock; distress wheat. |
| 9. | caused by or indicative of distress or hardship: distress prices; distress borrowing. |
–verb (used with object)
| 10. | to afflict with great pain, anxiety, or sorrow; trouble; worry; bother. |
| 11. | to subject to pressure, stress, or strain; embarrass or exhaust by strain: to be distressed by excessive work. |
| 12. | to compel by pain or force of circumstances: His suffering distressed him into committing suicide. |
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source
|
Link To distress
dis·tress (dĭ-strěs') tr.v. dis·tressed, dis·tress·ing, dis·tress·es
[Middle English distressen, from Old French destresser, from destresse, constraint, from Vulgar Latin *districtia, from Latin districtus, past participle of distringere, to hinder; see distrain.] dis·tress'ing·ly adv. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Distress
Dis*tress"\, n. [OE. destresse, distresse, OF. destresse, destrece, F. d['e]tresse, OF. destrecier to distress, (assumed) LL. districtiare, fr. L. districtus, p. p. of distringere. See Distrain, and cf. Stress.]1. Extreme pain or suffering; anguish of body or mind; as, to suffer distress from the gout, or from the loss of friends. Not fearing death nor shrinking for distress. --Shak. 2. That which occasions suffering; painful situation; misfortune; affliction; misery. Affliction's sons are brothers in distress. --Burns. 3. A state of danger or necessity; as, a ship in distress, from leaking, loss of spars, want of provisions or water, etc. 4. (Law) (a) The act of distraining; the taking of a personal chattel out of the possession of a wrongdoer, by way of pledge for redress of an injury, or for the performance of a duty, as for nonpayment of rent or taxes, or for injury done by cattle, etc. (b) The thing taken by distraining; that which is seized to procure satisfaction. --Bouvier. Kent. Burrill. If he were not paid, he would straight go and take a distress of goods and cattle. --Spenser. The distress thus taken must be proportioned to the thing distrained for. --Blackstone. Abuse of distress. (Law) See under Abuse. Syn: Affliction; suffering; pain; agony; misery; torment; anguish; grief; sorrow; calamity; misfortune; trouble; adversity. See Affliction.Distress
Dis*tress"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Distressed; p. pr. & vb. n. Distressing.] [Cf. OF. destrecier. See Distress, n.]1. To cause pain or anguish to; to pain; to oppress with calamity; to afflict; to harass; to make miserable. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed. --2 Cor. iv. 8. 2. To compel by pain or suffering. Men who can neither be distressed nor won into a sacrifice of duty. --A. Hamilton. 3. (Law) To seize for debt; to distrain. Syn: To pain; grieve; harass; trouble; perplex; afflict; worry; annoy.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
Language Translation for : distress
Spanish:
aflicción,
German:
die Qual,
Japanese:
悩み
distress
c.1280, from O.Fr. destresse, from Gallo-Romance *districtia "restraint, affliction," from L. districtus, pp. of distringere "draw apart, hinder," also, in M.L. "compel, coerce," from dis- "apart" + stringere "draw tight, press together" (see strain (v.)).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
Main Entry: dis·tress
Function: noun
Etymology: Anglo-French destrece, literally, tightness, anguish, deprivation, from Old French, ultimately from Late Latin districtus severe, from past participle of distringere to hinder, punish —see DISTRAIN
1 : seizure and detention of the goods of another as pledge or to obtain satisfaction of a claim by the sale of the goods seized; specifically : seizure by a landlord of a tenant's property to obtain satisfaction of arrearages in rent
NOTE: Distress is regulated by statute where available. It has been held unconstitutional by some courts.
2 : pain or suffering affecting the body, a bodily part, or the mind —see also EMOTIONAL DISTRESS
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
Main Entry: dis·tress
Pronunciation: dis-'tres
Function: noun
: pain or suffering affecting the body, a bodily part, or the mind
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
distress dis·tress (dĭ-strěs')
n.
- Mental or physical suffering or anguish.
- Severe strain resulting from exhaustion or trauma.
dis·tress' adj.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
distress
in law, process that enables a person to seize and detain from a wrongdoer some chattel, or item of personal property, as a pledge for the redressing of an injury, the performance of a duty, or the satisfaction of a demand. Distress was frequently levied without legal process, but requirements have become more stringent and now often necessitate some type of court action.
Learn more about distress with a free trial on Britannica.com.
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2009, Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.


