distressed

adjective

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

Examples of distressed in a Sentence

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.
He was distressed about a 29-year-old migrant father sent to a Salvadoran prison by mistake. The New York Times, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2025 The 5-year-old, who was born with an ear deformity and cannot verbally communicate, misses his father and has been extremely distressed since his arrest, said Lucia Curiel, one of the family’s lawyers. Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2025 Girls who are distressed in some way very often internalize their problems. Matt Villano, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2025 Julia Garner, a concerned parent, is distressed and wakes up with night sweats over the stress. Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for distressed

Word History

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of distressed was in 1613

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Cite this Entry

“Distressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/distressed. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.

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