in distress
idiom
1
: very upset
He was clearly in distress upon hearing the news.
2
: in a very difficult situation in which one does not have enough money, food, etc.
She's chosen to devote her life to helping those in distress.
3
of a boat, airplane, etc.
: in a state of danger or desperate need
The ship was in distress.
Examples of in distress in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Missing a pet or found one in the area that's in distress?
—
Staff Author, Travel + Leisure, 14 July 2025
Superman 2025 is the latest in a long line of media depictions of the dashing visitor from another planet who fights bad guys (Earthlings and aliens), rescues people in distress, inspires hope and seeks justice.
—Rusty Wright, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 July 2025
About a week after the drowning, a rescue operation saved a rider who was in distress after falling off his personal watercraft near the state’s North Point Marina in Winthrop Harbor.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2025
Another clip shows an entire home being carried by the subsequent floodwaters as horrified onlookers cry out in distress.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for in distress
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Staff Author, Travel + Leisure, 14 July 2025
Superman 2025 is the latest in a long line of media depictions of the dashing visitor from another planet who fights bad guys (Earthlings and aliens), rescues people in distress, inspires hope and seeks justice.
—Rusty Wright, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 July 2025
About a week after the drowning, a rescue operation saved a rider who was in distress after falling off his personal watercraft near the state’s North Point Marina in Winthrop Harbor.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2025
Another clip shows an entire home being carried by the subsequent floodwaters as horrified onlookers cry out in distress.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for in distress
Cite this Entry
“In distress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20distress. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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