DISTRESS

distress, distraint

(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”

distress, hurt, suffering

(noun) psychological suffering; “the death of his wife caused him great distress”

distress

(noun) extreme physical pain; “the patient appeared to be in distress”

distress

(noun) a state of adversity (danger or affliction or need); “a ship in distress”; “she was the classic maiden in distress”

distress

(verb) cause mental pain to; “The news of her child’s illness distressed the mother”

straiten, distress

(verb) bring into difficulties or distress, especially financial hardship

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Noun

distress (countable and uncountable, plural distresses)

(Cause of) discomfort.

Serious danger.

(medicine) An aversive state of stress to which a person cannot fully adapt.

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

(legal) The thing taken by distraining; that which is seized to procure satisfaction.

Antonyms

• (maladaptive stress): eustress

Verb

distress (third-person singular simple present distresses, present participle distressing, simple past and past participle distressed)

To cause strain or anxiety to someone.

Synonyms: anguish, harrow, trouble, vex, torment, tantalize, tantalise, martyr

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

Synonym: distrain

To treat a new object to give it an appearance of age.

Synonyms: age, antique, patinate

Anagrams

• disserts

Source: Wiktionary

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Dis*tress", n. Etym: [OE. destresse, distresse, OF. destresse, destrece, F. détresse, 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. 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. (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. 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. (Law) See under Abuse.

Syn.

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

Dis*tress", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Distressed; p. pr. & vb. n. Distressing.] Etym: [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. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed. 2 Cor. iv. 8.

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

3. (Law)

Definition: To seize for debt; to distrain.

Syn.

– To pain; grieve; harass; trouble; perplex; afflict; worry; annoy.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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