Sekirov Dictionary

distress

/dɪˈstɹɛs/

noun 6
verb 3
forms 6
phrases 1

noun6

a strong feeling of pain, worry or unhappiness
An aversive state of stress to which a person cannot fully adapt.
•
Serious danger.
- I immediately considered that this must be some ship in distress, and that they had some comrade, or some other ship in company, and fired these gun for signals of distress, and to obtain help. — 1719
A cause of such discomfort.
A seizing of property without legal process to force payment of a debt.
•
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. — 1596

verb3

•
To cause strain or anxiety to someone.
- She respects me, no doubt, but has no longer any passionate feeling for me, and my death will distress her without plunging her in despair. — 1827
•
To treat a new object to give it an appearance of age.
- a pair of distressed jeans
- She distressed the new media cabinet so that it fit with the other furniture in the room.
To retain someone’s property against the payment of a debt; to distrain.

forms

distressed · distrest · distressing · distresses · distresseth · distressest

Phrases with distress

abuse of distress
a wrongful using of an animal or chattel distrained, by the distrainer

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