How to Use distraught in a Sentence

distraught

adjective
  • She was distraught over the death of her partner.
  • Distraught relatives are waiting for news of the missing children.
  • Like the distraught wife of the hero who saves the day.
    Molly Horan, Glamour, 19 Jan. 2018
  • No nori would grow off the coast of Japan, and farmers were distraught.
    Esther Inglis-Arkell, Ars Technica, 19 Nov. 2017
  • A few feet away from the car was a distraught middle-aged white male.
    Rachel Dissell, cleveland.com, 28 Apr. 2018
  • There was a lot of blood on the floor, but besides that, the owner was distraught.
    Jordan Freiman, CBS News, 18 June 2023
  • The girls, they were just distraught about what had transpired.
    Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2021
  • Her mother, so distraught by the loss of her child, ends her own life.
    Katie Bowlby, Country Living, 5 Feb. 2023
  • Manzo broke free and, distraught, went to the bathroom to wash her hands.
    Kate Aurthur, Variety, 26 Jan. 2024
  • Or the distraught girlfriend of the man who would and does risk everything.
    Molly Horan, Glamour, 19 Jan. 2018
  • The friend was distraught, but Barr was thrilled: the book was ruffling feathers.
    Eliza Griswold, The New Yorker, 25 July 2021
  • The description of the distraught man as a friend had confused matters for the agent.
    Jim Dwyer, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2018
  • Aemond looks distraught, but the damage is done and the first stone of the Dance of Dragons has been thrown.
    Jordan Moreau, Variety, 23 Oct. 2022
  • Maddie is shocked and distraught when Kyle is pulled out of Ty's car.
    Alamin Yohannes, EW.com, 4 Feb. 2022
  • Near them sat a distraught Guatemalan father and his 7-year-old son.
    Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2021
  • To the shock and horror of all, the distraught knight impales himself on his sword.
    Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 24 June 2024
  • The boy was distraught and could be heard yelling for Jason Lindsey to stop, the report said.
    Karina Elwood, orlandosentinel.com, 11 June 2019
  • Huang, who has run restaurants in the area for 28 years, was distraught when his staff told him what happened.
    Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2022
  • On seeing the replay after the game, Joyce was distraught.
    Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2021
  • Wooten said his deputies are very distraught over what happened and for the family of Brown.
    Danielle Wallace, Fox News, 28 Apr. 2021
  • Johnston, like so many who had watched the April 1993 tragedy unfold on the news, was baffled and distraught.
    Chris Vognar, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2024
  • Bailey said her son was too distraught to talk to a reporter.
    Glenn E. Rice, kansascity, 6 July 2018
  • The neighbor screamed and became distraught over the encounter.
    Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2024
  • For the remainder of the episode, Seema is distraught over the luxurious theft.
    Christian Allaire, Vogue, 29 June 2023
  • Cobbertt said she and her siblings, as well as Dale's wife, are distraught and in shock.
    NBC News, 23 Aug. 2021
  • Police said Selis was distraught over a breakup with a girlfriend .
    Debbi Baker, sandiegouniontribune.com, 2 May 2017
  • When their newborn failed a hearing test, Quinn and Kai were distraught.
    Kristina Bernhardt, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2020
  • As far as Baumgartner can tell, the look in Ed’s eyes is both hopeful and distraught.
    Paul Auster, Harper’s Magazine , 16 Mar. 2022
  • Even as the mothers were distraught, one of the women defended Burke.
    Kali Nicole Gross / Made By History, TIME, 19 Sep. 2024
  • Within hours of the League’s announcement, distraught fans weighed in on social media demanding a full, rather than partial, dimming of lights.
    Greg Evans, Deadline, 4 Oct. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'distraught.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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