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

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

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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

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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

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 distress

Noun

The non-invasive form can cause gastrointestinal distress, fever and aches for a few days. — Eva Flowe october 15, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026 The jury also rejected claims that Hill engaged in continued domestic violence and in conduct that caused Vaccaro severe emotional distress. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2026

Verb

Changes To Leaves Or Bark Yellow, browning, or dropping leaves outside of the fall season can mean a tree is distressed from drought, pests, disease, or lack of nutrients. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 9 Aug. 2026 Because the posters ran in untargeted locations, including on the London Underground and at a site visible from a children’s nursery, the regulator concluded the imagery was likely to distress young children who saw it. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for distress

Recent Examples of Synonyms for distress

Noun

The minutes had passed so quickly for the rest of the world, but for the families waiting to learn whether their children were alive, the abrupt end of the gunfire wasn’t the end of their agony.

— Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
The daughters of burning witches were sometimes made to stand close to the pyre, being whipped by locals while watching their mothers die in agony.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of agony

Noun

The wide availability of low-cost, powerful open models is one reason Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has warned that open models in particular pose a risk of widespread and potentially devastating cyber attacks.

— Emily Forlini, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
That could represent either a benefit or a risk for shareholders, as decision-making would become faster but have fewer checks.

— Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of risk

Verb

Abiy’s persistent calls for sovereign access to Eritrea’s Red Sea port of Assab have alarmed Eritrea and deepened the rift.

— KHALED KAZZIHA, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026
But the idea that fine adaptations of great books need to be stopping points, rather than springboards, is alarming by itself.

— Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of alarm

Noun

Set to a downtempo bachata, the track features Lorén’s penetrating vocals filled with anguish at the impossible cycle of working endlessly to make ends meet.

— Vanessa Diaz, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2026
Abrams does yeoman’s work with a character stuck in a tight spot for most of the running time, constantly grunting and gasping with a mixture of anguish and exhaustion as his body gets progressively more beat up and broken.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of anguish

Verb

As for Adebayo, the Heat doesn’t seem to concerned about his groin issue.

— Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
Unions are concerned the bots — which Simbe claims can save employees up to 50 hours of work per week — could put human employees out of work.

— Ella Chakarian, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of concern

Noun

Those include genital itching, abnormal discharge, pelvic pain and burning during urination.

— Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026
The battle for political advantage ahead of elections should not obscure a reasonable expectation that governments can intervene to soften the pain of citizens, said Vahyala Kwaga, country head for Nigeria at policy research group BudgIT.

— Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of pain

Noun

Yet decisions that could contribute to anything from an individual suicide to large-scale cyberattacks and geopolitical destabilization are made without personal legal jeopardy.

— Giorgos Tsetis, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
The Chase Around the World does just that, taking a tried-and-tested, colossally successful format and an additional bit of jeopardy, with firm potential for international sales.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of jeopardy

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distress

distressed

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“Distress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distress. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of distress

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verb

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Synonyms of distress

noun

verb

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