in distress
idiom
1
: very upset
He was clearly in distress upon hearing the news.
2
: in a very difficult situation in which one does not have enough money, food, etc.
She's chosen to devote her life to helping those in distress.
3
of a boat, airplane, etc.
: in a state of danger or desperate need
The ship was in distress.
Examples of in distress in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The incident occurred Wednesday evening when police officers received a call from an apartment in San Antonio, Texas, from somebody reporting that their family member was in distress and needed immediate help, authorities said.
—
Jon Haworth, ABC News, 22 Jan. 2025
Emergency crews began searching around 2:40 a.m. after receiving a call about someone in distress in the water near 20 W. Las Olas Boulevard.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 18 Jan. 2025
Freshwater ecosystems across the world are in distress.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Jan. 2025
The setting allows for a cross section of humanity, united in distress, and occasional passages of sociopolitical commentary.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for in distress 
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Jon Haworth, ABC News, 22 Jan. 2025
Emergency crews began searching around 2:40 a.m. after receiving a call about someone in distress in the water near 20 W. Las Olas Boulevard.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 18 Jan. 2025
Freshwater ecosystems across the world are in distress.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Jan. 2025
The setting allows for a cross section of humanity, united in distress, and occasional passages of sociopolitical commentary.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for in distress
Dictionary Entries Near in distress
Cite this Entry
“In distress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20distress. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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