Lexic.us

Definition of Distress

1. Verb. Bring into difficulties or distress, especially financial hardship.

2. Noun. Psychological suffering. "The death of his wife caused him great distress"

3. Verb. Cause mental pain to. "The bad news will distress him"; "The news of her child's illness distressed the mother"

4. Noun. A state of adversity (danger or affliction or need). "She was the classic maiden in distress"

5. Noun. Extreme physical pain. "The patient appeared to be in distress"

6. Noun. The seizure and holding of property as security for payment of a debt or satisfaction of a claim. "Originally distress was a landlord's remedy against a tenant for unpaid rents or property damage but now the landlord is given a landlord's lien"

Definition of Distress

1. n. Extreme pain or suffering; anguish of body or mind; as, to suffer distress from the gout, or from the loss of friends.

2. v. t. To cause pain or anguish to; to pain; to oppress with calamity; to afflict; to harass; to make miserable.

Definition of Distress

1. Noun. (Cause of) discomfort. ¹

2. Noun. Serious danger. ¹

3. Noun. (legal) A seizing of property without legal process to force payment of a debt. ¹

4. Verb. To cause strain or anxiety to someone. ¹

5. Verb. (legal) To retain someone’s property against the payment of a debt; to distrain. ¹

6. Verb. To treat an object, such as an antique, to give it an appearance of age. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Distress

1. to cause anxiety or suffering to [v -ED, -ING, -ES]

Medical Definition of Distress

1. 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. 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. The thing taken by distraining; that which is seized to procure satisfaction. "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. See Abuse. Synonym: Affliction, suffering, pain, agony, misery, torment, anguish, grief, sorrow, calamity, misfortune, trouble, adversity. See Affliction. Origin: OE. Destresse, distresse, OF. Destresse, destrece, F. Detresse, OF. Destrecier to distress, (assumed) LL. Districtiare, fr. L. Districtus, p. P. Of distringere. See Distrain, and cf. Stress. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Distress

distrainor distrainors distrains distraint distraints distrait distraite distraught distraughted distraughtly

distraughtness distream distreamed distreaming distreams distress (current term) distress call distress signal distressed distressedly

distressedness distresses distressful distressfull distressfully distressfulness distressing distressingly distrest distribuend

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