'Distress' definitions:

Definition of 'distress'

(from WordNet)
noun
Psychological suffering; "the death of his wife caused him great distress" [syn: distress, hurt, suffering]
noun
A state of adversity (danger or affliction or need); "a ship in distress"; "she was the classic maiden in distress"
noun
Extreme physical pain; "the patient appeared to be in distress"
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" [syn: distress, distraint]
verb
Bring into difficulties or distress, especially financial hardship [syn: straiten, distress]
verb
Cause mental pain to; "The news of her child's illness distressed the mother"

Definition of 'Distress'

From: GCIDE
  • Distress \Dis*tress"\, n. [OE. destresse, distresse, OF. destresse, destrece, F. d['e]tresse, OF. destrecier to distress, (assumed) LL. districtiare, fr. L. districtus, p. p. of distringere. See Distrain, and cf. Stress.]
  • 1. Extreme pain or suffering; anguish of body or mind; as, to suffer distress from the gout, or from the loss of friends. [1913 Webster]
  • Not fearing death nor shrinking for distress. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. That which occasions suffering; painful situation; misfortune; affliction; misery. [1913 Webster]
  • Affliction's sons are brothers in distress. --Burns. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. A state of danger or necessity; as, a ship in distress, from leaking, loss of spars, want of provisions or water, etc. [1913 Webster]
  • 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. --Bouvier. --Kent. --Burrill. [1913 Webster]
  • If he were not paid, he would straight go and take a distress of goods and cattle. --Spenser. [1913 Webster]
  • The distress thus taken must be proportioned to the thing distrained for. --Blackstone. [1913 Webster]
  • Abuse of distress. (Law) See under Abuse.
  • Syn: Affliction; suffering; pain; agony; misery; torment; anguish; grief; sorrow; calamity; misfortune; trouble; adversity. See Affliction. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Distress'

From: GCIDE
  • Distress \Dis*tress"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Distressed; p. pr. & vb. n. Distressing.] [Cf. OF. destrecier. See Distress, n.]
  • 1. To cause pain or anguish to; to pain; to oppress with calamity; to afflict; to harass; to make miserable. [1913 Webster]
  • We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed. --2 Cor. iv. 8. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. To compel by pain or suffering. [1913 Webster]
  • Men who can neither be distressed nor won into a sacrifice of duty. --A. Hamilton. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. (Law) To seize for debt; to distrain.
  • Syn: To pain; grieve; harass; trouble; perplex; afflict; worry; annoy. [1913 Webster]

Synonyms of 'distress'

From: Moby Thesaurus