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distressing - 4 dictionary results

dis⋅tress

  [di-stres]
Use distressing in a Sentence
–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.
a. the legal seizure and detention of the goods of another as security or satisfaction for debt, etc.; the act of distraining.
b. the thing seized in distraining.
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.
Origin:
1250–1300; (n.) ME destresse < AF distresse, destresse, OF < VL *districtia, equiv. to L district(us) (see district ) + -ia -y 3 ; (v.) ME destressen < AF destresser (OF destrecier), deriv. of the n.

Related forms:
dis⋅tress⋅ing⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1. agony, anguish, adversity, tribulation. See sorrow. 2. need, destitution.

Antonyms:
1. comfort.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To distressing
dis·tress   (dĭ-strěs')   
tr.v.   dis·tressed, dis·tress·ing, dis·tress·es
  1. To cause strain, anxiety, or suffering to. See Synonyms at trouble.
  2. Law To hold the property of (a person) against the payment of debts.
  3. To mar or otherwise treat (an object or fabric, for example) to give the appearance of an antique or of heavy prior use: "There are the fakes—new rugs which have been intentionally distressed for an older look" (Hatfield MA Valley Advocate).
  4. Archaic To constrain or overcome by harassment.
n.  
  1. Anxiety or mental suffering.
    1. Severe strain resulting from exhaustion or an accident.
    2. Acute physical discomfort.
    3. Physical deterioration, as of a highway, caused by hard use over time: pavement distress.
    4. The act of distraining or seizing to compel payment.
    5. The goods thus seized.
  3. The condition of being in need of immediate assistance: a motorist in distress.
  4. Law
    1. The act of distraining or seizing to compel payment.
    2. The goods thus seized.

[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.
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Distressing

Dis*tress"ing\, a. Causing distress; painful; unpleasant.

Distressing

Dis*tress"ing\, adv. In a distressing manner.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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