DISTRESS Synonyms: 167 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'distress' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of distress are agony , misery , and suffering . While all these words mean "the state of being in great trouble," distress implies an external and usually temporary cause of great physical or mental strain and stress. // the hurricane put everyone in great distress

Q: When might 'agony' be a better fit than 'distress'?

In some situations, the words agony and distress are roughly equivalent. However, agony suggests pain too intense to be borne. // in agony over the death of their child

Q: When is 'misery' a more appropriate choice than 'distress'?

While in some cases nearly identical to distress , misery stresses the unhappiness attending especially sickness, poverty, or loss. // the homeless live with misery every day

Q: When could 'suffering' be used to replace 'distress'?

The synonyms suffering and distress are sometimes interchangeable, but suffering implies conscious endurance of pain or distress. // the suffering of famine victims

distress 1 of 2

noun

di-ˈstres

Definition of distress next

as in agony

a state of great suffering of body or mind the upcoming bar exam is causing us considerable distress the survivors were in extreme distress after having been stranded on the island for a week with no food

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in risk

the state of not being protected from injury, harm, or evil a ship in distress

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

distress

2 of 2

verb

as in to alarm

to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy don't let all the bad news distress you

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun distress differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of distress are agony, misery, and suffering. While all these words mean "the state of being in great trouble," distress implies an external and usually temporary cause of great physical or mental strain and stress.

the hurricane put everyone in great distress

When might agony be a better fit than distress?

In some situations, the words agony and distress are roughly equivalent. However, agony suggests pain too intense to be borne.

in agony over the death of their child

When is misery a more appropriate choice than distress?

While in some cases nearly identical to distress, misery stresses the unhappiness attending especially sickness, poverty, or loss.

the homeless live with misery every day

When could suffering be used to replace distress?

The synonyms suffering and distress are sometimes interchangeable, but suffering implies conscious endurance of pain or distress.

the suffering of famine victims

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of distress

Noun

Kelce could even contend that the man was trying to inflict emotional distress. —

Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 3 Nov. 2024 Just a few sessions of avatar therapy were shown to reduce both the distress and frequency of the voices. —

Irenie Forshaw, theweek, 30 Oct. 2024

Verb

Staff at the museum have found the situation particularly distressing, as the institution’s namesake, the sculptor Isamu Noguchi, was avowedly antiwar. —

Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 10 Sep. 2024 These images often correspond to memories of early life events or reflect hoarding-specific concerns, like distressing images of clutter, and their presence feeds the problem. —

New Atlas, 8 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for distress

Recent Examples of Synonyms for distress

Noun

Compared to the agony and the ecstasy on display in McQueen’s extraordinary Small Axe compilation, which celebrated the United Kingdom’s diaspora culture while forcing the country to reckon with its institutionally racist past, this might seem like weak tea.

David Fear, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2024
The movie One of the darkest true stories on this list, An American Crime never undersells or soft-pedals the ceaseless agony of Likens’ ordeal.

Declan Gallagher and Chris Bellamy, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024