distraught

adjective

di-ˈstrȯt How to pronounce distraught (audio)
Definition of distraughtnext
as in agitated
feeling overwhelming fear or worry distraught relatives waiting to learn whether there were any survivors of the plane crash

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example 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 distraught Leaving the Door Open For More S Pen fans were distraught when Samsung removed support for its beloved stylus from the Z Fold 7 in 2025. — Eric Zeman, PC Magazine, 22 July 2026 Laertes becomes deeply distraught over his son’s two-decade absence, a grief that had already claimed his wife, Odysseus’ mother, Anticlea. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 20 July 2026 Carney's grieving sister, Devon, wearing a Kerry GAA jersey and clutching a sunflower, was distraught as family members gathered around the hearse. — Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 15 July 2026 Claudia Morton, who lives near Durán Guerrero and his family and often waved to him, was distraught over the shooting. — Arkansas Online, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for distraught
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distraught
  1. agitated
  2. worried
  3. frightened
  4. frantic
  5. scared
  6. terrified
  7. upset
Adjective
  • Officers described the videos recorded by that camera, writing that Westman seemed agitated after a visit with family and at times sobbed before driving by the church and school the night before the attack.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026
  • This has driven some agitated investors to see parallels between the current market and the conditions leading up to the dot-com crash of 2000-2002, when the overall S&P 500 lost nearly half its value.
    — Joe D'Allegro, CNBC, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of agitated
Adjective
  • When Republican lawmakers secured cuts to the United States' largest food assistance program last year, Paige Shoemaker DeMio wasn't worried about children going hungry just at home — but at school.
    — Juliana Kim, NPR, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Mattfeld is excellent in what could easily have been a thankless role, playing Ricky with the mien of someone who is always holding it together, years of disappointment and condescension and expectation keeping her eyes worried and jaw tight.
    — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of worried
Adjective
  • In the second test, 12 dogs were shown happy faces, as well as sad, frightened, and angry ones.
    — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Hilton’s sister, Barbara Giarraffa, frightened fans and TikTok moderators were among those who called authorities.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of frightened
Adjective
  • In the past two days, many stories have emerged from frantic family members.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
  • His frantic paranoia makes the scene genuinely hard to read and sets the stage for his horrifying actions during the climax.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of frantic
Adjective
  • Across the playground, Star climbed to the top of a slide, then got too scared to come down.
    — Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The movie is skipping festivals, which suggests that Warners is scared of critics.
    — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of scared
Adjective
  • Instead, coaches have become more and more terrified through the years of seeing their players getting hurt during largely meaningless games in August.
    — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Tempe police ultimately convinced the couple, who were initially too terrified to report the incident, to share what had happened to them, documents said.
    — Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of terrified
Adjective
  • An upset victory in Alaska for Democrats would be a massive step toward achieving that goal.
    — Joey Garrison, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Clancy appeared upset during the sidebar but returned to the defense table with a stoic expression.
    — Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of upset

Browse Nearby Words

distrait
distraught
distress
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Distraught.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distraught. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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