distressed

[dih-strest] / dɪˈstrɛst /

ADJECTIVE

upset

Synonyms

STRONGEST

afflicted agitated anxious distraught jittery miffed perturbed shaky troubled

STRONG

bothered bugged concerned discombobulated distracted dragged exercised harassed peeved ripped saddened shook spooked tormented wired worried wrecked

WEAK

all torn up antsy basket case bummed out bundle of nerves cut up disconsolate distrait fidgety hyper in a stew in a tizzy inconsolable jumpy shook-up shot down strung-out unconsolable unglued up the wall uptight wretched

Antonyms

STRONGEST

calm cool happy peaceful pleased untroubled

STRONG

unworried

WEAK

collected comforted glad joyful

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A person, confused and distressed by unwanted images they cannot control, can be left feeling like a predator, extremely isolated and overcome with shame.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

That will be welcome news in Beijing, which wants to use the fund to rescue the array of distressed Chinese loans around the world.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

It’s starting from a distressed base—even after the recent gain, it lags behind the S&P 500 by 11 percentage points annualized over the past five years—with no support from Wall Street amid management turmoil.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

He was found "distressed, crying and in shock".

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

He was so distressed that he turned back; but at that moment a clear call came rippling down.

From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien

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