DISTRESS • E-FREE TRANSLATION.COM • Definition of Distress

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/dɪstrˈɛs/ Listen

noun

Distress n.

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."

2.

That which occasions suffering; painful situation; misfortune; affliction; misery. "Affliction's sons are brothers in distress."

3.

A state of danger or necessity; as, a ship in distress, from leaking, loss of spars, want of provisions or water, etc.

4.

(Law)

(a)

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.

(b)

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." "The distress thus taken must be proportioned to the thing distrained for."

Abuse of distress. (Law) See under Abuse.

Synonyms: Affliction; suffering; pain; agony; misery; torment; anguish; grief; sorrow; calamity; misfortune; trouble; adversity. See Affliction.

verb

Distress v. t. (past & past part. distressed; pres. part. distressing)

1.

To cause pain or anguish to; to pain; to oppress with calamity; to afflict; to harass; to make miserable. "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed."

2.

To compel by pain or suffering. "Men who can neither be distressed nor won into a sacrifice of duty."

3.

(Law) To seize for debt; to distrain.

Synonyms: To pain; grieve; harass; trouble; perplex; afflict; worry; annoy.

See images of 'Distress'

Etymology of 'Distress'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Distress" Quotes from Famous Books

... whereabouts of the ring, and cleverly contriving to secure possession of it, threw it into the sea. He then went straight to the queen and demanded to know where it was and what she had done with it. The queen in her distress repaired to St. Kentigern, and both made full confession of her guilt and her anxiety about the recovery of the ring, that she might regain the lost favor of her husband. The saint set off at once to the Clyde, and there caught a salmon and the identical ring in the mouth of it. This he handed ...

— Hebraic Literature; Translations from the Talmud, Midrashim and - Kabbala • Various

... which he would not take the responsibility of declining to read, although it had no reference to the subject under consideration. He then read the letter, which was simply signed "A Regular Attendant at Your Lectures," and which in a few words drew attention to the appalling distress existing among the population out of work at the East End, and suggested that all those present at the lecture that night should be allowed the opportunity of contributing one or two pennies each towards ...

— The Life and Letters of Thomas Henry Huxley Volume 1 • Leonard Huxley

... obstinacy, as it was supposed to be, caused him much suffering, sometimes even physical punishment, all of which he bore patiently, believing that if he was steadfast in his faith relief would somehow come. It did come, but not until—after five months of hardship and distress of mind and body—his case, with that of other Quakers, finally reached the President. "I want you to go and tell Stanton," said Lincoln to the gentleman who had presented the case to him, "that it is my wish that all those young men be sent home at once." The ...

— The Every-day Life of Abraham Lincoln • Francis Fisher Browne

... calmly, either failing to notice, or deliberately overlooking Abi Fressah's growing distress, "its shape and design are...!" and he dragged the other through several streets until he found a door to which he could point as being not ...

— Jewish Fairy Tales and Legends • Gertrude Landa

... I fell, or fancied I fell, in love with her. To her mother's extreme distress, she gave me every encouragement, partly for fun, partly to annoy Colonel Ibbetson, whom she had apparently grown to hate. And, indeed, from the way he spoke of her to me (this trainer of English gentlemen), he well deserved that she should ...

— Peter Ibbetson • George du Marier et al

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