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
Relevance
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
King is especially distraught in the season finale after learning that she'll be deposed again in a lawsuit against the ER — a suit and deposition that has burdened the doctor all season.
—
Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026
Police said the family has been fully cooperating, but understandably distraught.
—Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
The bride was left distraught and in tears.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
The singer added that when SpaceX's Starship rocket exploded in April 2023, the toddler was distraught.
—Emma Banks, InStyle, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for distraught
Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026
Police said the family has been fully cooperating, but understandably distraught.
—Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
The bride was left distraught and in tears.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
The singer added that when SpaceX's Starship rocket exploded in April 2023, the toddler was distraught.
—Emma Banks, InStyle, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for distraught
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distraught
Adjective
-
The antipsychotic drug chlorpromazine, derived from a clothing dye called methylene blue, was first tested on agitated and delusional patients in 1952.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Trump has long agitated for changes at CNN, and few expect his Justice Department to block the transaction.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
At Cal Poly Pomona, director of media relations Cynthia Peters directed students and staff who were worried about being unable to access their course materials as a result of the incident to a Reddit post uploaded by the school’s Bookstore faculty on Thursday.—
Kristy Hutchings,
Daily News,
7 May 2026
-
But locals are worried that other companies could move in.—
NPR,
NPR,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Those children hadn’t seemed frightened to me, not visibly anyway.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
-
How Animal Lovers Can Help For readers who have ever bottle-fed a baby animal, comforted a frightened pet or simply paused to watch a deer step out of the woods at dusk, Forest’s story is a familiar kind of heartbreak — and a familiar kind of hope.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
As oxygen runs out and the girl’s frantic parents demand action, cracks begin to appear in their story.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
-
But some key details remain unknown, including exactly what went down during those frantic seconds at the hotel and what motivated him.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
And yet, locals weren't scared off, blinded perhaps by their love of the game.—
Lee Cowan,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
-
To him, the gathering in New York was a sign of change, that people are curious enough to give it another look, and not too scared of the potential backlash.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The key cabin crew are flight attendants Penny (Lucy Barrett) and Zoe (Na Shi), both of whom demonstrate bravery, to different ends, and show caring attention to the terrified children.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Though Ridley Scott works in a drastically different tone than the one John Carpenter brought to Dark Star, the two films share screenwriter Dan O’Bannon’s darkly comedic view of a future that has reduced humans to alternately bored and terrified cogs in larger machines.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Quenneville was the next huge piece of the puzzle, and the three-time Stanley Cup winner as a head coach has guided the Ducks to a first-round postseason upset.—
Greg Beacham,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
-
The Minnesota Timberwolves, or what is left of them, also advanced with an upset win against the Denver Nuggets.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Distraught.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distraught. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
